what's the deal with low-power analogs?

[akron05]

In my DMA (Cleveland) I'm lucky that all the network affiliates are full power, even UPN and WB. There are a few LP stations around and they baffle me. One (WAKN, Channel 11, Akron) has it's transmitter only 5.4 miles away but I can barely make out a picture and no sound on it. And I am on one of the highest hills in the county and get crisp-clear analog transmission of every local station and if I aim east I can get WFMJ Youngstown clear as a bell too. FYI I haven't yet made the HDTV/Digital plunge but it's in the works.

The FCCs website usually shows the -LP and -CA stations as having no transmitter height. Under the "height" section instead of a number there is a dash. Are the LP transmitters literally sitting on the ground?? Or are they on some kid's treehouse being powered by an Eveready 9-volt battery?

[KyL416]

Most low-power stations in major markets are either repeaters or just community stations owned by non-profit organization like Church's or School's who don't need major coverage in an area. Or, in some cases, a small network that only applies to a niche audience, like in NYC, the Aztec America Affiliate, WNYN-LP, transmits at a high enough power to cover the 5 boroughs and some of Nassau county, but not enough to reach Westchester or Nassau and Suffolk.

Also, we used to have two Box Music network stations on Long Island, WNYN-LP, when it used to be on channel 51 and had their transmitter on the Nassau/Suffolk Border, and another one, W17CH-LP who was based in central suffolk county. It was localized to cover more of the local music scenes. WNYN-LP ceased programming on Long Island in 2000, and eventually when MTV purchase The Box and merged it with MTV2, The Box station on channel 17 became a customized version of MTV2 called MTV2 Local 360, until they ceased programming on UHF in 2002.

There's also cases in smaller markets where the low power channel has been around for a while, and a new network like WB or UPN launched and decided to get at least some presence in the market by affiliating with a low power station.

Most of the time the transmitters are on a much lower tower than that of a full power transmitter, but they are generally high enough to be above the surrounding trees or buildings in their coverage area. In some cases, for much lower power stations, they have a small transmitter at the top of their building or on the side of it, if they are directional. Oddly enough, my local WB Affiliates digitial station is extremely low power for now, and they have their digital antenna literally on top of a utility pole.

As for WAKN, they are only a 3kw station and have a really small coverage area:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=TX1057719.html

[akron05]

Most low-power stations in major markets are either repeaters or just community stations owned by non-profit organization like Church's or School's who don't need major coverage in an area. Or, in some cases, a small network that only applies to a niche audience, like in NYC, the Aztec America Affiliate, WNYN-LP, transmits at a high enough power to cover the 5 boroughs and some of Nassau county, but not enough to reach Westchester or Nassau and Suffolk.

Also, we used to have two Box Music network stations on Long Island, WNYN-LP, when it used to be on channel 51 and had their transmitter on the Nassau/Suffolk Border, and another one, W17CH-LP who was based in central suffolk county. It was localized to cover more of the local music scenes. WNYN-LP ceased programming on Long Island in 2000, and eventually when MTV purchase The Box and merged it with MTV2, The Box station on channel 17 became a customized version of MTV2 called MTV2 Local 360, until they ceased programming on UHF in 2002.

There's also cases in smaller markets where the low power channel has been around for a while, and a new network like WB or UPN launched and decided to get at least some presence in the market by affiliating with a low power station.

Most of the time the transmitters are on a much lower tower than that of a full power transmitter, but they are generally high enough to be above the surrounding trees or buildings in their coverage area. In some cases, for much lower power stations, they have a small transmitter at the top of their building or on the side of it, if they are directional. Oddly enough, my local WB Affiliates digitial station is extremely low power for now, and they have their digital antenna literally on top of a utility pole.

As for WAKN, they are only a 3kw station and have a really small coverage area:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=TX1057719.html

Wow...doesn't even cover most of Akron proper, just a couple SW suburbs.