Alabama Public TV drops PBSHD

[4bama]

Effective 1 July 2007 Alabama Public TV (APT) stations have dropped the national PBSHD feed. This HD feed was available on all APT stations digital (-01) broadcasts until 1 July.

APT consists of many stations throughout Alabama, all under a single management format. For example, Birmingham is WAIT (channel 10, 10-1 WAS PBSHD), WBIT is Montgomery (channel 26-1 WAS PBSHD) and so forth, with each city in Alabama being W(x)IT, where (x) is C,D,E etc... All programming for these stations are negociated by a single source, so whatever is negociated is applied to all APT stations.

Up until 1 July, APT stations were transmitting the national PBSHD feed on the -1 subchannel, the non-HD feed (for children) on analog and the -2 digital feed.

I called the APT programming director today and asked for an explanation why PBSHD was not available. I was told that the national PBS feed was dropped because they (national) were asking too high a price for the HD feed and APT can not afford it.

Instead, they simulcast the analog standard feed (-2) on the (-1) feed and added
-3 and -4 feeds. None of these are HD, nor will they become HD if the current APT programming philosophy survives.

Everyone that cares about PBSHD in Alabama (and other states with similar programming arrangements) should call their local APT station and complain, and most importantly, withhold donations and support for these stations unless HD content is restored.

I hope this is good example of why a National PBSHD station should be provided by DISH network. Many other States have a similar public broadcasting system that allow local stations to solicit contributions but not follow national PBS programming formats.

Alabama has in effect, dropped adult programming, and ALL HD feeds, in favor of childrens feeds until late at night, none in HD.

I'm furious, but off my soap box...

[James Long]

Many stations dropped the national PBSHD feed last year due to the price. I expect that more stations will follow.

[TiVoPrince]

Georgia
stations dropped the HD feed long ago 'because of the price'. What will they do when the digital requirement kicks in and they have alienated all thier former contributors?

Shortsighted managers appear to want a raise at the expense of the viewing public. Creating hundreds of hours of mind-numbing local programming using antiquated hardware does not impress me.

I had seriously considered sending my usual contribution to another PBS station that does broadcast in HD. Later after some reflection, I chose to send the cheque to another charity instead. This publically sponsored measuring contest has to stop because we the viewers are the ones who will really lose...

[bidger]

My sympathies. I hope that doesn't happen here because the fact that another network besides just NBC in my area was doing HD OTA was the reason why I invested in an outdoor antenna in the first place.

[James Long]

Georgia stations dropped the HD feed long ago 'because of the price'. What will they do when the digital requirement kicks in and they have alienated all thier former contributors?A reminder that the "digital requirement" is to turn off the analog transmitter in February 2009 (with few exceptions). There is no "HD requirement".

What they will do is offer several SD channels ... and hope to have the support of viewers who would prefer multiple PBS options instead of one HD one.

[ssmith10pn]

Hmm It's "Public TV" as in Non Profit Goverment run correct?

Why would there be any "Fee"?

[whatchel1]

No PBS is not funded by the national gov. They do get some of their money in the form of grants from the gov but most of the funding is contributions. The place to complain is to PBS national. The local stations are being squeezed by the nationals to get more money. So what a lot of the locals are doing is letting the national know that they can't afford more money to go to them. What may happen is that the local will start multi-casting the programming that shows the better return for the money. Unfortunately locals don't get anymore money by having the HD programming in most locations. As we see more & more HD systems coming on line then maybe PBS will be able to get more money for the beautiful HD shows. BTW the Public in Public TV is related to the public being involved with the stations. To give the public programming that is HQ and educational. If I were in your I would get as many people involved with "B'in" at national PBS for no longer having access to HD and try to get them to work with the local (in your case state network) for affordable PBS HD.

[jacksonm30354]

Georgia
stations dropped the HD feed long ago 'because of the price'. What will they do when the digital requirement kicks in and they have alienated all thier former contributors?

Shortsighted managers appear to want a raise at the expense of the viewing public. Creating hundreds of hours of mind-numbing local programming using antiquated hardware does not impress me.

I had seriously considered sending my usual contribution to another PBS station that does broadcast in HD. Later after some reflection, I chose to send the cheque to another charity instead. This publically sponsored measuring contest has to stop because we the viewers are the ones who will really lose...

I don't think they can drop it when they haven't begun broadcasting digitally yet :) The statewide PBS network in Georgia, Georgia Public Television, does NOT broadcast digitally anywhere in the state as of yet. I am only aware of WPBA 30 in Atlanta broadcasting digitally (run by the Atlanta Public School System, not GPTV) which did indeed drop the HD feed. (WGTV 8 is the Atlanta GPTV station). I believe GPTV is due to start bringing up their digital signals soon. Not sure what they will be broadcasting.

[Nick]

Georgia
stations dropped the HD feed long ago 'because of the price'...Well, there is one benefit of being in the JAX FL DMA. WJCT does the
national PBS HD feed and it ranks high among my favorite channels.

[Smthkd]

I don't think they can drop it when they haven't begun broadcasting digitally yet :) The statewide PBS network in Georgia, Georgia Public Television, does NOT broadcast digitally anywhere in the state as of yet. I am only aware of WPBA 30 in Atlanta broadcasting digitally (run by the Atlanta Public School System, not GPTV) which did indeed drop the HD feed. (WGTV 8 is the Atlanta GPTV station). I believe GPTV is due to start bringing up their digital signals soon. Not sure what they will be broadcasting.

GPTV over on the Georgia HD forum stated that they will indeed be broadcasting the National HD feed in 2008 when they finish their HD equipment upgrade. Your right about WPBA, they abandon the HD feed back in late 2005. GPTV though has stated that their main contributors only wanted HD and the state wanted to be up to date in technology and to keep them they made the transition. I can't wait for it to go live!:)

[HDTVFanAtic]

Effective 1 July 2007 Alabama Public TV (APT) stations have dropped the national PBSHD feed. This HD feed was available on all APT stations digital (-01) broadcasts until 1 July.

APT consists of many stations throughout Alabama, all under a single management format. For example, Birmingham is WAIT (channel 10, 10-1 WAS PBSHD), WBIT is Montgomery (channel 26-1 WAS PBSHD) and so forth, with each city in Alabama being W(x)IT, where (x) is C,D,E etc... All programming for these stations are negociated by a single source, so whatever is negociated is applied to all APT stations.

Up until 1 July, APT stations were transmitting the national PBSHD feed on the -1 subchannel, the non-HD feed (for children) on analog and the -2 digital feed.

I called the APT programming director today and asked for an explanation why PBSHD was not available. I was told that the national PBS feed was dropped because they (national) were asking too high a price for the HD feed and APT can not afford it.

Instead, they simulcast the analog standard feed (-2) on the (-1) feed and added
-3 and -4 feeds. None of these are HD, nor will they become HD if the current APT programming philosophy survives.

Everyone that cares about PBSHD in Alabama (and other states with similar programming arrangements) should call their local APT station and complain, and most importantly, withhold donations and support for these stations unless HD content is restored.

I hope this is good example of why a National PBSHD station should be provided by DISH network. Many other States have a similar public broadcasting system that allow local stations to solicit contributions but not follow national PBS programming formats.

Alabama has in effect, dropped adult programming, and ALL HD feeds, in favor of childrens feeds until late at night, none in HD.

I'm furious, but off my soap box...


Why is this an E* issue?:confused:

[James Long]

Why is this an E* issue?:confused:4bama wants E* to carry the National PBS feed. That makes it an E* channel request (of sorts).

[jsk]

I would think that PBS wouldn't allow E* to show the national PBS feed (HD & SD) in markets where E* carries a local PBS station. This would hurt the local PBS stations because viewers won't see pledge drives and they would receive fewer contributions.

While public TV & Radio stations receive some grants from the federal government, the grants have been getting smaller and smaller. They are desperate for pledges. If they don't get them, they can't provide extra services, such as HD.

[FTA Michael]

A few years ago, before LIL must-carry, E* offered the national PBS feed. (It was one of the reasons I chose E* over D* way back then, but I digress.) Once the local PBS stations were picked up, PBS worked out a deal with E* so that E* could not offer to anyone who had a local PBS station available to them. Only those scattered outposts with no PBS station available through E* were (are?) allowed to continue to subscribe to the national feed.

If national PBS is squeezing the local stations to pay for the HD signal, then it wouldn't be in its interest to allow viewers to pay a token amount to subscribe separately to a national feed, IMHO.

[ssmith10pn]

Hmm I'm watching PBS in Montgomery, Al right now in 1080i :confused: :confused:

[bidger]

A few years ago, before LIL must-carry, E* offered the national PBS feed. (It was one of the reasons I chose E* over D* way back then, but I digress.)

:confused: I've had the national PBS feed from DIRECTV since I cut the cord with lifeline cable back in early 2000. Local PBS OTA was only available from a station nearly 50 miles away until early this year when they started doing a digital broadcast about 8 miles away.

[4bama]

Hmm I'm watching PBS in Montgomery, Al right now in 1080i :confused: :confused:

So am I, OTA 26-01, 02, 03 and -04....none are HD and you will not see any HD...

They are indeed broadcasting in "widescreen" format but in standard def...notice the black bars above and below the picture and also notice none of the programming is from the national PBSHD feed. They will show some of these feeds at later times than the national feed but in SD format.

My request to all DISH users is to evaluate what their local state public TV stations are doing and complain to national PBSHD and ask that DISH be allowed to provide the PBSHD feed to DMA's that elect not to carry it.

Even though the Birmingham major 4 (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) stations HD contents are now uplinked by DISH (and soon available to local subscribers-per Dish) APT stations are not part of this package. Why? Because no HD content is offered.

I sent email to the national PBSHD and local APT contacts urging them to either find a way for local state's public stations to carry the HD feed or consider a national feed for DISH and DIRECTV to provide this HD feed to DMA's that do not (or will not) carry it.

Maybe if enough of us complain about the lack of PBSHD, DISH can negociate a channel just for PBSHD.

[ssmith10pn]

Yep it's stretched now. Earlier today there was a cartoon on that was 1080 full screen.

[mwgiii]

Thanks for the info 4bama. I was wondering what happened.

I used your quote over at AVSForum Birmingham HD thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10983038#post10983038