HDTV in Huntington, WV on WSAZ

[Tomsoundman]

Got an email from an engineer, our local NBC affiliate plans to start broadcast HDTV March 1st. He said they are testing now.

Need a 921 ASAP!!:hi:

[Jacob S]

They have been advertising digital WSAZ on their channel for a little while now.

[SamC]

Wow. Great news.

What do you guys think of WVAH? They absolutly refuse to grant waivers and will be OTA for 6 months plus.

I have a DirecTV HDTV and have seen no evidence of such broadcasting on 23 (WSAZ's new home), however.

[Jacob S]

Do you mean off the air or over the air when you say OTA and do you mean because of the tower the fell due to the ice storm through their building that was over 1,000 ft tall?

[SamC]

Yep. That is what I mean. Off the air as in not broadcasting, not over the air as in the way I used to receive it. I should have been more clear.

They are telling advertizers not to cancel their orders with a story they can be on in March, but that is just not true. They are spending all of their time constructing microwave links to varrious cable systems and won't even trun their attention to real broadcasting until summer.

[Jacob S]

Maybe the digital signal on 23 is not very strong that only those within or near the city can pick up the digital signal. How far are the digital/HDTV signals supposed to go and how does it work? Does it either come in or not come in like satellite or can it still be fuzzy if you can get some of the signal in?

[Tomsoundman]

HDTV is supposed to be all or nothing. Should be the same coverage area. If SamC can't get it in Scott Depot, we are in trouble. He is very close to transmitting antennas.

I'm in South Point, moving to southern Huntington in the Spring. Where are you Jacob S?

[SamC]

Digital signals are supposed to be at a power so that they end up with the same range as the old analog signals. However, stations are launching under "special temporary authority" at very low power to cover their violation of the law in not being on 1-1-02 and promising to be up to power in later years.

In this market the 8 (and 11, up until two weeks ago) towers are in Scott Depot, only slightly closer to Charleston than Huntington. The 3 -13 - 33 towers are all in northern Cabell county, about 6 miles due north of the Huntington Mall.

My digital experience:

33 - Complied with the law and is on the air with 3 standard def signals, the regular PBS, the day late PBS that is on DirecTV and PBS YOU.

29 - (tower located in Cross Lanes) Supposedly on the air. Running a HIGHLY directional signal toward Charleston. I get nothing of it, dispite getting the analog perfectly. No loss, its PAX.

13 - People report that is station is on the air. The FCC disagrees with that, at least according to their data base. I see no evidence of it.

8 & 11 - Went on the air at flea power in Nov 02. Went off the air due to falling ice chunks on Sunday afternoon before the WVAH colapse. All WVAH equipment destroyed. WCHS equipment damaged and being removed because the tower can't stand the weight of it and the "temporary" analog 11 stuff.

3 - no evidence of a signal. Has an STA in hand for about 1/2 of its alloted power.

25 - is on the air, but I can't get it.

[Jacob S]

I live in Jackson County

[Tomsoundman]

That low power stuff stinks! Wonder how long they will be able to get away with that?

I was excited about moving (as I mentioned above) and getting a HD receiver to get DTV off of OTA...

[SamC]

D-TV reset:

3 (23)- Is testing at 1/2 of full power. Currently broadcasts in the evenings. Wants to work out all the "bugs" before making an official announcement that it is on.

8 & 11 - 11 analog has moved to the 8 tower at lower height and about 1/2 power. Neither station will be broadcasting digital again until 11 is rebuilt, which will take a year or more.

13 (47) - Is on the air as of Monday. Running simulcast of regular signal, at about half power.

33 (34) - as mentioned above.

[Jacob S]

I seen channel 3 advertise 23 in the past and then lately advertise 'digital wsaz coming soon'

Channel 11 (FOX) is back up now.

[SamC]

The FCC has granted a construction permit for a digital only station on Channel 52. Transmitter will be located on the WOWK tower. Station will be owned by Pappas Broadcasting, which owns a chain of smaller market and Spanish language stations, primarly in the west and south.

The FCC isn't granting new analog liscenses, so the station with be a "digital-only", which means that it will be received OTA only by people that have digital equipment, but cable companies will be required to receive it and down-convert it to analog as a "must-carry" like the other local stations.

Look for UPN affiliation.