Form 387 (DTV Shutoff Plans) Thread

[MotoMuzak]

"KPDX Vancouver, WA: from DTV-48 to DTV-30.  Taking over the facility currently used by co-owned KPTV.  (at the same power currently used by KPTV.)
KPTV Portland, OR: from DTV-30 to DTV-12."

At present, KPDX's digital signal on 48 tends to splatter all over the Univision affiliate KUNP on 47. It's almost impossible to watch Sabado Gigante without having to look through a nice thick layer of ATSC hash! This is especially noticeable on my wideband Panasonic DMR-EZ27 [more sensitive], but not so much on either of my VCR's as they likely have more selective, narrower-bandwidth tuners.

In my area of Vancouver, KPTV's ATSC channel on 30 is currently very difficult to receive, especially with an outdoor antenna. (YRMV!!) ANd I am trying to receive it in a third-storey apartment with a decent view of the transmitter tower! (Literally, looking south on a clear day past PDX Airport, I can see many towers in the hills. More than likely one of them broadcasts KPTV.) This likely (hopefully) will change as KPTV migrates its digital signal to 12.

Now, back to Univision--
As I understand it KUNP will flash-cut their analogue signal on 47 and immediately start running ATSC on 29 on the kill date (if not shortly before.) Should be interesting to see how/if KPDX might be affected by this, or not.........

Back to you, Trip & W9WI.......

[dhett]

KAJB in Calipatra CA is tied up in coordination issues with Mexico. Mexico protested their use of channel 50 (thus why there's no digital up yet), and has not yet agreed to their use of 36. It is unknown when this will be resolved. (You'd think they'd file to use the allocation of an existing station to make things simple but...)

Why the FCC allocated channel 50 here is a mystery. The State of Sonora operates a translator of its Telemax service (XEWH 6 Hermosillo SO) on XHRCS channel 50 in San Luis Rio Colorado SO, barely 40 miles from the KAJB transmitter site. (Unless channel 50 in the US was allocated first and Sonora opened a station on that channel in spite - the US/Mexico relationship is a one-way relationship anyway.)

Then there's the pace at which the Mexican gov't gets things accomplished. International coordination, if it occurs, will happen at the last minute, probably. Just ask Scott Powell and Amy Meredith, owners of KBFY-LP in Yuma. Their station on channel 41 was being superseded by KYMA-DT, so they sought to move to channel 51. Three years later, just before their permit was to expire, the Mexican gov't refused to allow it. The station has been dark since KYMA-DT went on the air.

[w9wi]

In my area of Vancouver, KPTV's ATSC channel on 30 is currently very difficult to receive, especially with an outdoor antenna. (YRMV!!) ANd I am trying to receive it in a third-storey apartment with a decent view of the transmitter tower! (Literally, looking south on a clear day past PDX Airport, I can see many towers in the hills. More than likely one of them broadcasts KPTV.) This likely (hopefully) will change as KPTV migrates its digital signal to 12.

Strange.  Sometimes a particular station just doesn't work very well for no good reason...

All the full-power stations and many of the -LPs are on the towers on the hills.  The exceptions would be channels 14 (licensed to Vancouver, relaying KPDX) and 26. 

Now, back to Univision--
As I understand it KUNP will flash-cut their analogue signal on 47 and immediately start running ATSC on 29 on the kill date (if not shortly before.) Should be interesting to see how/if KPDX might be affected by this, or not.........

I don't see any DTV plans for KUNP right now.

Channel 29 is assigned for DTV use by KUNP, but that's the full-license KUNP transmitter in La Grande.  The KUNP on 47 in Portland is KUNP-LP - a completely different station.  (though to the best of my knowledge, the La Grande station relays KUNP-LP)  The Portland station, as a -LP, doesn't automatically get a second channel for DTV, and a quick look at the FCC database shows they haven't requested one.

[tripinva]

Analog to the end, digital complete:
KRBC, WYOU, WTVO, WUTR, KAMC, WFXU, WSRE, KOOD, KSWK, KDCK*, KWKS*, WEBA, WHMC, WJPM, WJWJ, WNEH, WNSC, WNTV, WRET, WRLK, WRJA, WLNE, WLVI, WTIU, KTBS, KVDA, KDEN, KXTX, KSTS, KWHY, KVEA, KTAS, WVIT, WTVJ, WXIN, KCWC, WRC, KNTV, WMAQ, KPLR, WSNS, WSFL, WGXA, KNSD, KXAS, WKAQ, KBLR, WILL, WPXT, WKBD, KGPE, KGET, KION, KMCB, KWET, KTCW, WBUI, KOET, KCOY, WCCU, KVOS, WRSP, KMTR, WSYR, WWTI, KLRT, KAAS, KASN, KOED, KOKI, KSAS, WFQX, KUCW, KJZZ, WOLF, WHRM, WHLA, WQMY, KNVO, KTVX, KLUZ, WAWS, KCPT, WJKT, KXMA, KXMD, KINT, KTFN, WJTC, WLMT, WPTY, WGFL, KTUL, WTEV, WDSI, WPBY, WNPB**, WLOV, WQTO, KMYT, KPTS, WXXV, WMGT, KIKU

Digital-only, digital is final:
KCGE, KMDE, WTLF

Flash-cutting analog on 2/17/09:
WITV, KCAL, KTVT, KSTW, KCCO, KCCW, KBRR, KOED, KETA, KXMB, KETA, KOED, KXMC, KHET***, KOBF, KJRR, KGUN, KSTP

Silencing analog early:
KIXE (08/22/08)

Silencing analog, returning on new channel:
KLCW

Awaiting FCC action:
WCOV, KMEB, KAAL

Pegasus stations that need to flash cut but whose filings contain few or no details:
WSWB, WTLH

Little or no information:
KSCI

Special case:
WPCW
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101234588&formid=387&fac_num=69880

WVXF in the US Virgin Islands will be silencing their analog around 02/01/09 to prepare to flash-cut the channel 17 transmitter to digital. It will start operating again 02/18/09.

KSAX will fit in the first category, but will operate channel 42 with an STA for up to three months while it builds out final facilities with the UHF transmitter from WHEC.

WMTJ in Puerto Rico has yet to build out its digital facilities, but once they are done will fall into the first category, analog to the end.

WMGM has already reduced analog power, but otherwise fits in the first category.

KSTC will operate channel 44 with an STA for a few months until the channel 45 transmitter is converted to digital.

* Already flash-cut or signed on digital-only.

** WNPB will move digital antenna to the top of the tower within 6 months after 02/17/09.

*** Will halve power in Summer 2008.

Pegasus needs to find someone who can file a form.

In addition to all of that, my page has now been updated to include almost all of the stations that have filed for CPs, with the exception of the South Dakota PBS stations.  I was lazy about those and will catch them later.  I'm also working on entering in facilities for all stations that are done building already, but it's coming slowly.

- Trip

[tripinva]

Alright, seeing as how there's a good chance I'm going to have 1000+ apps dumped on me this evening, I've developed a game plan for what to do with it.

Instead of posting the call letters of every station that gets a filing here, I'm only going to post "surprises" or stations that have interesting things here.

Further, I'm planning to go state-by-state so I don't miss any stations, and thus will post which states are done and available on my site. This'll make it very clear what's done and what isn't. Since Virginia is my home state and interests me the most, it will be done first. It will be followed closely by DC and NC, likely moving north from there to get New England; there should be some interesting filings up that way.

All that said, tomorrow I have an exam and Wednesday I have two, so don't expect me to update quite as rapidly as I did last week; at least not until all that nonsense is over. Until it's all over with on Wednesday evening, I'm focusing on my school stuff first, and this second to break up the boredom and monotony (ironic, isn't it?).

- Trip

[tripinva]

Alright, my page is almost done.  By the end of the day tomorrow, all stations that have filed should be listed on my page.

Right now, just selected stations in Texas and Puerto Rico are missing.

Lots of interesting stuff.  I'm hoping to post some facility data over the weekend, though honestly I'm getting sick of looking at the web page.  It's very tedious, as interesting as it is.

- Trip

[tripinva]

Sorry for my absence, but my web page should now be reasonably complete!

If you find any mistakes, please let me know.  The page should be kept reasonably up-to-date as filings come in from here on out, though I may get behind with all the CPs around March 17.

- Trip