Columbus Locals Possibly may look this way

[Msguy]

More Than Likely this is how the Columbus - Tupelo, Ms Channels will list on your Direc Tv On Screen Guide.
927- Channel 2- WMAB- Mississippi Educational Television - also PBS Service
928- Channel 4- WCBI - Columbus, Ms. CBS Network Television Service
929- Channel 9- WTVA - Tupelo, Ms. NBC Network Television Service
930- Channel 27- WLOV - West Point, Ms. Fox Network Television Service
931- Channel 35- New UPN Channel for Northeast Mississippi
932- Channel 45- WKDH- Houston, Ms. ABC Network Television Service

[gor88]

The UPN station will probably not be available in the Columbus, MS locals package.

From the WCBI site, which broadcasts both CBS and UPN on digital 35 (read full text at http://www.wcbi.com/digitalTV.html) in regard to rebroadcast of their DTV signals:

Digital Satellite Service

DSS is a different format that has several names: DSS, Direct TV, Dish Network and so on. All of these satellite providers us digital compression to cram a bunch of channels into their satellite signal. The largest selling point to DSS was a clear picture on every channel. That is still true but because there are so many channels crammed into the satellite signal, the digital artifacts are more prevalent on the screen.

A major misconception to DSS is that eventually everyone will get to see their local television station on their satellite. This is false. Somebody has to pay to uplink the signal to the satellite 24 hours a day. That gets very expensive and is not cost effective for most local TV stations.

Larger markets like New York, LA and Atlanta are able to reach enough local subscribers with their advertising that they actually make money from the satellite broadcast. So the answer to the question of when will we see WCBI on satellite is, NOT REAL SOON. It cost more to do than we could make. Sorry for the bad English but it is all really about the money.

Speaking of money, did you notice the word “subscriber” in the last few paragraphs? DSS cost you money each month plus the cost of a receiver and dish.

[gor88]

This posting is old, so it is possible that they have changed their minds, but I doubt it.
:(

[Msguy]

"WCBI will continue to transmit an analog signal until 85% of our viewers have a digital TV or set-top box. The FCC could change their mind and tell us to turn off the analog tomorrow but hopefully they will give us time to buy new sets when our existing ones wear out and die. By then the cost of the sets and boxes should have dropped."

WCBI is going to have to get up to speed with the times. Analog broadcasts are quickly becomming a thing of the past. While there are still alot of programming out there that is broadcasted in Analog more and more programming is going to high definition. Eventually All TV Stations are going to have to broadcast digitally. These changes will only be for the better.

[gor88]

I definitely agree. If the Columbus market is like Jackson, about one out of every three people have a dish. I would bet that at least half of those have D*. That means that their UPN signal will not be available to at least 16% of the audience once the locals come on line next month. They should quit griping and uplink the signal.

[ChrisPC]

The last sentence is interesting.

"Call or email your local cable company and tell them you want UPN MS!"

I would think if they want cable to have it, they'd want it on D* too.

[Msguy]

Gor88 yeah the Columbus Market is even more Rural than Jackson, Ms Market and alot of Folks up here in Northeast, Mississippi have Dishes. Especially the folks who live out of town in the County where sometimes Cable doesn't even get out to. So yes alot of Folks have Dishes. Even with an over the air antenna it's still hard to get a decent signal of WCBI or WTVA Channel 9 where i live. These Channels are desperately needed on Direc Tv and Dish Network if they ever become available on dish. I know Direc TV is supposed to be getting Columbus-Tupelo any day now. Around the First part of July I'm hoping.