At this writing, the end of full-power analog TV in Northeast Ohio is nearly complete.
Only the analog signals of WKYC/3 (NBC), WVIZ/25 (PBS), WNEO/49 (PBS) and WQHS/61 (Univision) remain, and the last three will be gone before midnight tonight. WKYC's "nightlight" DTV information loop will continue through June 26th...the station having taken all entertainment and news programming off of analog 3 at 10 AM.
Over in the Mahoning Valley, only the analog signal of WFMJ/21 (NBC) is still on the air late this Friday night. It plans to pull the analog plug at just before midnight tonight, and will have to do so even if the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings take over four hours to finish Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
By the way, OMW hears from our friends at Western Reserve PBS that though Youngstown low-power analog fill-in translator W58AM (Channel 58) is indeed still off the air, the Kent-based PBS operation is planning to return the Youngstown fill-in service via digital channel 44 (58's replacement, W44CR) in the fall of this year.
We'll have a post-mortem and commentary over the weekend, and more information about other Ohio markets (particularly Toledo and Columbus) as it becomes available to us...
Showing posts with label youngstown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label youngstown. Show all posts
Friday, June 12, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
On The Night Before DTV
...there were some clarifications, some changes, and more testing...
(Bet you thought we were going for the "not even a mouse" line! Maybe closer to December...)
YOUNGSTOWN LINES UP: After waiting all week, we've finally learned what time all Youngstown market stations will turn off their analog signals.
We previously learned that Vindicator NBC affiliate WFMJ/21 would wait until 11:59 PM Friday night to shut off that venerable analog channel 21.
The other two commercial stations in Youngstown, CBS affiliate WKBN-TV/27 and ABC affiliate WYTV/33, are under the common control of New Vision Television, which owns WKBN-TV and runs WYTV under a shared services agreement we've talked about many times.
And thus, as expected, both stations will drop analog signals at the same time - 12:05 PM Friday.
From an announcement put up this afternoon on the WKBN-TV "27 First News" website, mirrored over on the WYTV side of the New Vision web house:
At five minutes past noon on Friday June 12, 2009, both WKBN-TV and WYTV-TV will turn off their analog transmitters.
It's pretty non-eventful in the Mahoning Valley, as all that needs to be done is turn off analog 21, analog 27 and analog 33. It's no less historic, of course, because all three analog stations have been serving Valley viewers for decades...no matter how good their digital replacements are.
The announcement is actually pretty straightforward in pointing out that WYTV's digital signal may cause viewers problems:
WYTV has a new transmitter installed which will dramatically increase its signal strength. As of now, we are awaiting government approval to finish the tower construction and turn it on to full power. If you are having difficulty receiving 33.1, 33.2 and 33.3 despite trying the tactics described above, the problem may be solved as soon as the new transmitter is finished.
The only "flash cut" in the Youngstown TV market has already been done. Western Reserve PBS Youngstown market station WNEO/45 Alliance did it back in November, and is already on the full-power maximized version of digital 45...
Those with only analog tuners in Youngstown, after 12:05 PM tomorrow, will see at least one network affiliate...as New Vision Fox affiliates WYFX-LP 62 Youngstown/WFXI-CA 17 Mercer PA are not affected by the transition, being low power stations.
At this point, though, viewers are more likely to pick up "Fox Youngstown" either on cable, or on the HD-equipped WKBN-DT/27.2 subchannel.
(We don't know if TBN's translator in the market will flip to digital yet, and as far as we know, Western Reserve PBS" Youngstown fill-in translator, W58AM, is still off the air in either format.)
TOLEDO CHANGES: If you were planning on watching the end of analog full-power TV in the Toledo market by staying up all night, you'll apparently get a nap.
Three of Toledo's full power stations have been planning to turn off analog signals in the overnight hours, from 12:07 AM for ABC O&O WTVG/13 to 4:25 AM for Raycom CBS affiliate WTOL/11.
Barrington NBC affiliate WNWO/24 was in that mix, and was scheduled to shut off analog 24 right in the middle of the other two stations' times- at 2:05 AM.
But OMW hears from a reader in the Toledo market that "NBC24" announced that it was putting off the early Friday switch until just before midnight Friday night, for one reason: concern that Detroit Red Wings fans would miss game 7 of the NHL's Stanley Cup Finals.
The series is being carried by NBC, of course, and in case you don't know, Toledo may as well be a suburb of Detroit for these purposes. (We wonder if that's why NBC's Youngstown market affiliate, WFMJ/21, has also announced a late Friday switch...we presume there are a lot of Pittsburgh Penguins fans in that market.)
WTOL and WTVG are the two stations in the Toledo market "flash cutting" digital on their old analog channels, and maybe they want some breathing room for calls by doing the actual switch in the post-midnight or early morning hours.
Last we heard, LIN Fox affiliate WUPW/36 will become the last full-power analog station in the Toledo market to go off the air, with a 10 AM shutoff planned. Analog only tuners will still get MyNetwork TV low-power affiliate WMNT-CA/48 after that.
And no, we have no idea what religious WLMB/40 is doing...
NO, JUST A TEST: The story is pretty much told in our Twitter updates, which appear on the main OMW blog to the left of the items themselves.
But in case you haven't seen - for a while, Western Reserve PBS' WEAO-DT 49.3 lit up this afternoon, carrying the "MHZ Worldview" programming the station announced earlier this week.
Not yet, say station officials...they were just testing 49.3, which will light up for good after midnight Friday night/Saturday morning.
At that time, 49.2 will shut off the SD simulcast of the main Western Reserve PBS channel, and will carry the national "Classic Arts Showcase" until the locally-programmed "Fusion" arts/culture channel launches later this summer.
We'll assume folks picking up WNEO-DT saw the same behavior on 45.3 today...
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Western Reserve PBS Adds New SD Subchannels
When we were marveling at the appearance of the full-power WVIZ-DT signal last night, we wondered...what subchannels would Western Reserve PBS offer after transition?
We knew that WNEO-DT 45.2 and WEAO-DT 49.2's SD simulcast of the main Western ReservePBS signal would go away after June 12th.
The Kent-based public broadcaster has announced that it'll add two new standard definition subchannels starting early the morning of June 13th, shortly after the button is pushed to end analog transmissions on WEAO/49 Akron.
And except for may be a small sliver of programming, the new Western Reserve PBS sujbchannels don't duplicate the three subchannels now seen market-wide in Cleveland via the upgraded WVIZ-DT signal.
WNEO-DT 45.2/WEAO-DT 49.2 will feature "Fusion", which will be a locally programmed arts, cultural and public affairs channel. That local service will actually launch on August 1st, so from June 13th until then, Western Reserve PBS will offer "Classic Arts Showcase" on 45.2/49.2.
WNEO-DT 45.3/WEAO-DT 49.3 will air "MHz Worldview", a nationally-offered subchannel service featuring English-language programming produced by a host of international public TV outlets, including Germany's Deutsche Welle, NHK, France 24 and others.
Those outlets have long produced English-language programming for North America, dating back to shortwave radio broadcasts from decades ago.
(Though shortwave is kind of on life support in 2009, many of the broadcasters now offer that programming both there and on the Internet..."Worldview" is structured similarly to the "World Radio Network", which airs on satellite radio and on the Internet.)
As a teenager, we used to listen to "Radio Netherlands", the Dutch government's shortwave service, in English...and gained a major appreciation of the Netherlands as a result.
Both new Western Reserve PBS subchannels will land on Time Warner Cable's digital SD lineup, but only in Akron, Canton and Youngstown to start...channel 367 for "MHz Worldview", 368 for "Fusion".
Massillon Cable has agreed to air the channels on positions 84 ("Fusion") and 85 ("Worldview").
How about Time Warner Cable's lineups in Cleveland and elsewhere?
A Western Reserve PBS news release, which we will reprint below, says: "Cleveland and other markets to follow".
The former Adelphia systems now in TWC's fold in the Cleveland area have also not added the HD feed of the 45/49 programming, though the station showed up in early channel lineup cards shortly after TWC took over the ex-Adelphia systems. PBS HD on the TWC Cleveland/former Adelphia systems is via carriage of WVIZ-DT 25.1 on HD channel 411.
Our note about a "small sliver" of duplication refers to Western Reserve PBS' plans to carry, on "Fusion", some Ohio public affairs programming presumably brought their way by "The Ohio Channel", which airs as a subchannel on WVIZ-DT (and in fact, WVIZ owner ideastream is a partner in producing the channel).
The Western Reserve PBS release is below...
----------
Western Reserve Public Media announces launch of two new standard definition channels
KENT, Ohio – June 11, 2009 — Western Reserve Public Media (formerly PBS 45 & 49) announced today that it will launch two new standard definition broadcast services at midnight on June 13, 2009, to coincide with the national analog shut-off and to herald the beginning of the all-digital broadcast environment.
Fusion, the new service airing on WNEO.2/WEAO.2, will focus on arts, culture, public affairs and regional productions. Fusion will debut with Classic Arts Showcase programming airing around the clock until Wednesday, Aug. 1, when the new locally programmed schedule begins. The variety service will feature regionally produced programming from both Western Reserve Public Media and independent producers; arts and performance programming from PBS, American Public Television, Minority Consortia and other sources not carried on the organization’s primary channel; Ohio Statehouse floor activities coverage from Ohio Government channel and other public affairs programs; and more than 10 recently acquired British comedies and other BBC Worldwide programs not carried on Western Reserve PBS.
Premiere date: Classic Arts Showcase will air around the clock beginning Saturday, June 13, 2009. On Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2009, the new locally programmed schedule will begin.
Channel designations: Digital channels 45.2 (WNEO) and 49.2 (WEAO); Time Warner Cable channel 368 (beginning July 15 in Akron, Canton and Youngstown; Cleveland and other markets to follow); Massillon Cable channel 84; other cable system carriage pending
MHz Worldview, the new service airing on WNEO.3/WEAO.3, is an independent, noncommercial service presenting fresh, relevant English-language international content including news, documentaries, cultural programming, dramas, films and mysteries, music and sports. Known for its “programming for globally minded people,” MHz Worldview presents programs from around the world to American audiences, representing networks such as Asian News International, Beijing TV, Bolivision (Bolivia), Deutsche Welle (Germany), euroNews, France 24, Israel Broadcasting Authority, NHK World TV (Japan), Nigerian Television Authority, RT (formerly Russia Today), South African Broadcasting Corp. News International, Taiwan Macroview TV, TV Polonia and many others.
Premiere date: Saturday, June 13, 2009
Channel designations: Digital channels 45.3 (WNEO) and 49.3 (WEAO); Time Warner Cable channel 367 (beginning July 15 in Akron, Canton and Youngstown; Cleveland and other markets to follow); Massillon Cable channel 85; other cable system carriage pending
Western Reserve PBS, the organization’s primary, high-definition broadcast service, will continue to air on WNEO PBS 45.1 and WEAO PBS 49.1 and in its current cable and satellite positions. Western Reserve PBS offers a wide range of programs on subjects including science and nature; drama, art and music; how-tos, travel and adventure; history and biography; and news and public affairs. Additionally, the station airs over 60 hours of children’s programming each week. It is well-known for sustaining an excellent relationship with local independent producers and is the premier television outlet for their work.
“Western Reserve Public Media has long positioned itself as a broadcast service offering alternative TV programming — from commercial television stations as well as from other public television stations,” said Trina Cutter, president and CEO of Western Reserve Public Media. “Our two new channels will present unique, engaging program content for northeast Ohioans.
“For the past 10 years we have been intensely focused on the technical logistics of converting two broadcast transmitters to digital,” Cutter continued. “It is refreshing and reinvigorating to finally be shifting all of our focus to services for our community.”
The new broadcast services range from the local to the global. Station programmer Don Freeman explained, “We want to be a showcase for northeast Ohio’s best local and regional productions, a home for creative voices and a place to find out not only what is happening in the world, but what the rest of the world says about it when it’s happening.”
Western Reserve Public Media continues to work with area cable and satellite TV providers to add these new channels to their lineups. More information is available online at WesternReservePBS.org or by calling 1-800-554-4549.
We knew that WNEO-DT 45.2 and WEAO-DT 49.2's SD simulcast of the main Western ReservePBS signal would go away after June 12th.
The Kent-based public broadcaster has announced that it'll add two new standard definition subchannels starting early the morning of June 13th, shortly after the button is pushed to end analog transmissions on WEAO/49 Akron.
And except for may be a small sliver of programming, the new Western Reserve PBS sujbchannels don't duplicate the three subchannels now seen market-wide in Cleveland via the upgraded WVIZ-DT signal.
WNEO-DT 45.2/WEAO-DT 49.2 will feature "Fusion", which will be a locally programmed arts, cultural and public affairs channel. That local service will actually launch on August 1st, so from June 13th until then, Western Reserve PBS will offer "Classic Arts Showcase" on 45.2/49.2.
WNEO-DT 45.3/WEAO-DT 49.3 will air "MHz Worldview", a nationally-offered subchannel service featuring English-language programming produced by a host of international public TV outlets, including Germany's Deutsche Welle, NHK, France 24 and others.
Those outlets have long produced English-language programming for North America, dating back to shortwave radio broadcasts from decades ago.
(Though shortwave is kind of on life support in 2009, many of the broadcasters now offer that programming both there and on the Internet..."Worldview" is structured similarly to the "World Radio Network", which airs on satellite radio and on the Internet.)
As a teenager, we used to listen to "Radio Netherlands", the Dutch government's shortwave service, in English...and gained a major appreciation of the Netherlands as a result.
Both new Western Reserve PBS subchannels will land on Time Warner Cable's digital SD lineup, but only in Akron, Canton and Youngstown to start...channel 367 for "MHz Worldview", 368 for "Fusion".
Massillon Cable has agreed to air the channels on positions 84 ("Fusion") and 85 ("Worldview").
How about Time Warner Cable's lineups in Cleveland and elsewhere?
A Western Reserve PBS news release, which we will reprint below, says: "Cleveland and other markets to follow".
The former Adelphia systems now in TWC's fold in the Cleveland area have also not added the HD feed of the 45/49 programming, though the station showed up in early channel lineup cards shortly after TWC took over the ex-Adelphia systems. PBS HD on the TWC Cleveland/former Adelphia systems is via carriage of WVIZ-DT 25.1 on HD channel 411.
Our note about a "small sliver" of duplication refers to Western Reserve PBS' plans to carry, on "Fusion", some Ohio public affairs programming presumably brought their way by "The Ohio Channel", which airs as a subchannel on WVIZ-DT (and in fact, WVIZ owner ideastream is a partner in producing the channel).
The Western Reserve PBS release is below...
----------
Western Reserve Public Media announces launch of two new standard definition channels
KENT, Ohio – June 11, 2009 — Western Reserve Public Media (formerly PBS 45 & 49) announced today that it will launch two new standard definition broadcast services at midnight on June 13, 2009, to coincide with the national analog shut-off and to herald the beginning of the all-digital broadcast environment.
Fusion, the new service airing on WNEO.2/WEAO.2, will focus on arts, culture, public affairs and regional productions. Fusion will debut with Classic Arts Showcase programming airing around the clock until Wednesday, Aug. 1, when the new locally programmed schedule begins. The variety service will feature regionally produced programming from both Western Reserve Public Media and independent producers; arts and performance programming from PBS, American Public Television, Minority Consortia and other sources not carried on the organization’s primary channel; Ohio Statehouse floor activities coverage from Ohio Government channel and other public affairs programs; and more than 10 recently acquired British comedies and other BBC Worldwide programs not carried on Western Reserve PBS.
Premiere date: Classic Arts Showcase will air around the clock beginning Saturday, June 13, 2009. On Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2009, the new locally programmed schedule will begin.
Channel designations: Digital channels 45.2 (WNEO) and 49.2 (WEAO); Time Warner Cable channel 368 (beginning July 15 in Akron, Canton and Youngstown; Cleveland and other markets to follow); Massillon Cable channel 84; other cable system carriage pending
MHz Worldview, the new service airing on WNEO.3/WEAO.3, is an independent, noncommercial service presenting fresh, relevant English-language international content including news, documentaries, cultural programming, dramas, films and mysteries, music and sports. Known for its “programming for globally minded people,” MHz Worldview presents programs from around the world to American audiences, representing networks such as Asian News International, Beijing TV, Bolivision (Bolivia), Deutsche Welle (Germany), euroNews, France 24, Israel Broadcasting Authority, NHK World TV (Japan), Nigerian Television Authority, RT (formerly Russia Today), South African Broadcasting Corp. News International, Taiwan Macroview TV, TV Polonia and many others.
Premiere date: Saturday, June 13, 2009
Channel designations: Digital channels 45.3 (WNEO) and 49.3 (WEAO); Time Warner Cable channel 367 (beginning July 15 in Akron, Canton and Youngstown; Cleveland and other markets to follow); Massillon Cable channel 85; other cable system carriage pending
Western Reserve PBS, the organization’s primary, high-definition broadcast service, will continue to air on WNEO PBS 45.1 and WEAO PBS 49.1 and in its current cable and satellite positions. Western Reserve PBS offers a wide range of programs on subjects including science and nature; drama, art and music; how-tos, travel and adventure; history and biography; and news and public affairs. Additionally, the station airs over 60 hours of children’s programming each week. It is well-known for sustaining an excellent relationship with local independent producers and is the premier television outlet for their work.
“Western Reserve Public Media has long positioned itself as a broadcast service offering alternative TV programming — from commercial television stations as well as from other public television stations,” said Trina Cutter, president and CEO of Western Reserve Public Media. “Our two new channels will present unique, engaging program content for northeast Ohioans.
“For the past 10 years we have been intensely focused on the technical logistics of converting two broadcast transmitters to digital,” Cutter continued. “It is refreshing and reinvigorating to finally be shifting all of our focus to services for our community.”
The new broadcast services range from the local to the global. Station programmer Don Freeman explained, “We want to be a showcase for northeast Ohio’s best local and regional productions, a home for creative voices and a place to find out not only what is happening in the world, but what the rest of the world says about it when it’s happening.”
Western Reserve Public Media continues to work with area cable and satellite TV providers to add these new channels to their lineups. More information is available online at WesternReservePBS.org or by calling 1-800-554-4549.
Analog Shutoff Times As We Know Them
UPDATE 6/10/09 4:15 PM: OMW hears that Winston Broadcasting CW affiliate WBNX/55 has been promoting a 10 AM analog shutdown time, adding the station to the growing list of Cleveland market stations turning off the analog transmitter at that particular time.
And Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 confirms the 10 AM time in this item on its NewsNet5 website, along with announcing its own "On Your Side" DTV help phone bank...Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM, and Monday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM.
We've also corrected an error in the list below - Raycom CBS affiliate WTOL/11 Toledo will make their switch (literally, from analog 11 to digital 11) at 4;25 AM Friday, not 4:05 AM Friday. That was a typo on our part.
The original list is below...
----------
It has taken us far too much time to compile this list...and it's not even complete.
As far as the Internet is concerned, pretty much all local TV stations in our coverage area seem to regard the shutoff time for their analog signals on Friday as a state secret.
In the Cleveland market, only NBC affiliate WKYC/3 and PBS affiliate WEAO/49 (Western Reserve PBS) have made an effort to let their website visitors know when their analog signals will go away.
In general, almost all stations have done a very poor job with the DTV sections of their websites. Many are regurgitating national-only information from their networks, or their website hosting company.
But we slogged through, and here's your market by market list. We are not listing Cincinnati and Dayton, as our colleagues at Tri-State Media Watch/Tri-State DTV Watch have extensively covered those areas...
----------
CLEVELAND: As far as we know, the "Big Four and a Half" network stations in the Cleveland market are still planning on a 10 AM analog shutdown on Friday. That would be: WKYC/3 (NBC), WEWS/5 (ABC), WJW/8 (Fox) and WOIO/19 (CBS)-WUAB/43 (MyNetwork TV).
Only WKYC has actively publicized the time, both on its website (via our blogging colleague Frank Macek's "Director's Cut" blog) and on-air. If WEWS, WJW or WOIO-WUAB have put up the time on-air, we haven't run into it.
The "19 Action News" front page's DTV Countdown Clock now tracks to 10 AM on Friday. A clock linked through WUAB's My43.net, though, counts to midnight on Friday. Who knows? We suspect the latter is just something left behind from an earlier setup, since the WOIO front page clock now matches the time we've reported here.
Western Reserve PBS' WEAO/49, as reported here, is planning to shut down analog channel 49 at 11:59 PM.
We've heard that Univision O&O WQHS/61 is shutting down analog 61 at 11 PM, but we haven't confirmed that.
We have found no analog shutdown information for: WVIZ/25 (PBS) or WBNX/55 (CW). Ditto for ION Network O&O WVPX/23, which must perform a "flash cut" to debut its digital signal on RF channel 23 for the very first time.
The folowing stations have already turned off analog: WDLI/17 (TBN), WOAC/67 (informercials) and WMFD/68 Mansfield (local independent).
YOUNGSTOWN: We only have one confirmed analog shutdown time in the Youngstown market.
PBRTV's Tom Lavery tells us that officials with Vindicator NBC affiliate WFMJ/21 say it'll shut down the analog transmitter at 11:59 on Friday night.
We've searched, we've asked, and we can't find the analog shutoff times for the other two stations still needing to do so in the Youngstown market: WKBN/27 (CBS) and WYTV/33 (ABC).
Since both stations are controlled by the New Vision folks, we would expect them to turn off their analog transmitters at the same time.
Western Reserve PBS' WNEO/45 Alliance, of course, consigned analog 45 to the scrap heap way back in November...
TOLEDO: Thanks to a very helpful OMW reader, Toledo's analog shutoff time list is almost 100% complete.
And if you're a DTV watcher, you might want to head for Toledo Thursday night, and stay up all night...maybe getting a short nap or two between switches.
Here are the analog shutdown times for Toledo, in order of time early Friday morning:
12:07 AM - WTVG/13 (ABC)
2:05 AM - WNWO/24 (NBC)
4:25 AM - WTOL/11 (CBS)
10:00 AM - WUPW/36 (Fox)
OMW hears that WUPW had planned a 6 PM analog cutoff, but moved it up to 10 AM, due to FCC regulations about call center hours.
There's probably a reason for the early Friday morning times in Toledo - both WTVG/13 and WTOL/11 are "flash cutting" their digital signals onto their soon-to-be former analog channels.
We have no information about: WLMB/40 (religious/independent). Toledo's MyNetwork TV outlet, WMNT-CA 48, is a low-power station, and isn't affected by the end of full-power analog.
COLUMBUS: We're also missing a lot of information from Central Ohio's stations.
The only confirmation comes from Dispatch CBS affiliate WBNS/10, which has this message on its "Viewer Services" page:
"On Friday night at approximately 11:59 p.m., WBNS-10TV will sign off our analog signal as part of the government mandated DTV transition."
We can't find any information on analog shutdown times for the remaining Columbus market stations still putting out analog signals: WCMH/ 4 (NBC) and WSYX/6 (ABC).
A number of Columbus market stations have already turned off the analog juice: WTTE/28 (Fox), WOSU/34 (PBS), WSFJ/51 (TBN) and WWHO/53 (CW)...
LIMA: We wish all TV engineers were like Block NBC affiliate WLIO/35's VP/engineering Frederick Vobbe, who is well noted for sharing information online.
Vobbe's separate engineering site, WLIO.net, confirms the station's analog shutoff time for channel 35:
"On June 12th at 6:59AM we will sign off WLIO analog.
During 'First Edition' from 6AM to 7AM, we will be talking about the transition, and at the end of the news show we will press the button for the last time.
During the day, our technical staff will be disassembling the 1964 transmitter, which will be scrapped out."
We'd like to put a call out to viewers within range of WLIO's analog channel 35, especially...we'd love to see that in video, even if it's posted to YouTube or something. (We'll presumably also find it on WLIO's website, under the news rebroadcast section, but we'd like to see it off of analog 35.)
Lima's only other full power station, religious/independent WTLW/44, shut off its analog signal some time ago.
Lima's other network affiliates, WLQP-LP/18 (ABC), WOHL-CA 25 (Fox) and WOHL-LP 38 (CBS), are now owned by Block/WLIO, and are not subject to the full-power mandated analog shutoff.
WLIO VP/engineering Vobbe detailed the digital plans for the Lima LPTV stations in an earlier item on his blog...
And Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 confirms the 10 AM time in this item on its NewsNet5 website, along with announcing its own "On Your Side" DTV help phone bank...Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM, and Monday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM.
We've also corrected an error in the list below - Raycom CBS affiliate WTOL/11 Toledo will make their switch (literally, from analog 11 to digital 11) at 4;25 AM Friday, not 4:05 AM Friday. That was a typo on our part.
The original list is below...
----------
It has taken us far too much time to compile this list...and it's not even complete.
As far as the Internet is concerned, pretty much all local TV stations in our coverage area seem to regard the shutoff time for their analog signals on Friday as a state secret.
In the Cleveland market, only NBC affiliate WKYC/3 and PBS affiliate WEAO/49 (Western Reserve PBS) have made an effort to let their website visitors know when their analog signals will go away.
In general, almost all stations have done a very poor job with the DTV sections of their websites. Many are regurgitating national-only information from their networks, or their website hosting company.
But we slogged through, and here's your market by market list. We are not listing Cincinnati and Dayton, as our colleagues at Tri-State Media Watch/Tri-State DTV Watch have extensively covered those areas...
----------
CLEVELAND: As far as we know, the "Big Four and a Half" network stations in the Cleveland market are still planning on a 10 AM analog shutdown on Friday. That would be: WKYC/3 (NBC), WEWS/5 (ABC), WJW/8 (Fox) and WOIO/19 (CBS)-WUAB/43 (MyNetwork TV).
Only WKYC has actively publicized the time, both on its website (via our blogging colleague Frank Macek's "Director's Cut" blog) and on-air. If WEWS, WJW or WOIO-WUAB have put up the time on-air, we haven't run into it.
The "19 Action News" front page's DTV Countdown Clock now tracks to 10 AM on Friday. A clock linked through WUAB's My43.net, though, counts to midnight on Friday. Who knows? We suspect the latter is just something left behind from an earlier setup, since the WOIO front page clock now matches the time we've reported here.
Western Reserve PBS' WEAO/49, as reported here, is planning to shut down analog channel 49 at 11:59 PM.
We've heard that Univision O&O WQHS/61 is shutting down analog 61 at 11 PM, but we haven't confirmed that.
We have found no analog shutdown information for: WVIZ/25 (PBS) or WBNX/55 (CW). Ditto for ION Network O&O WVPX/23, which must perform a "flash cut" to debut its digital signal on RF channel 23 for the very first time.
The folowing stations have already turned off analog: WDLI/17 (TBN), WOAC/67 (informercials) and WMFD/68 Mansfield (local independent).
YOUNGSTOWN: We only have one confirmed analog shutdown time in the Youngstown market.
PBRTV's Tom Lavery tells us that officials with Vindicator NBC affiliate WFMJ/21 say it'll shut down the analog transmitter at 11:59 on Friday night.
We've searched, we've asked, and we can't find the analog shutoff times for the other two stations still needing to do so in the Youngstown market: WKBN/27 (CBS) and WYTV/33 (ABC).
Since both stations are controlled by the New Vision folks, we would expect them to turn off their analog transmitters at the same time.
Western Reserve PBS' WNEO/45 Alliance, of course, consigned analog 45 to the scrap heap way back in November...
TOLEDO: Thanks to a very helpful OMW reader, Toledo's analog shutoff time list is almost 100% complete.
And if you're a DTV watcher, you might want to head for Toledo Thursday night, and stay up all night...maybe getting a short nap or two between switches.
Here are the analog shutdown times for Toledo, in order of time early Friday morning:
12:07 AM - WTVG/13 (ABC)
2:05 AM - WNWO/24 (NBC)
4:25 AM - WTOL/11 (CBS)
10:00 AM - WUPW/36 (Fox)
OMW hears that WUPW had planned a 6 PM analog cutoff, but moved it up to 10 AM, due to FCC regulations about call center hours.
There's probably a reason for the early Friday morning times in Toledo - both WTVG/13 and WTOL/11 are "flash cutting" their digital signals onto their soon-to-be former analog channels.
We have no information about: WLMB/40 (religious/independent). Toledo's MyNetwork TV outlet, WMNT-CA 48, is a low-power station, and isn't affected by the end of full-power analog.
COLUMBUS: We're also missing a lot of information from Central Ohio's stations.
The only confirmation comes from Dispatch CBS affiliate WBNS/10, which has this message on its "Viewer Services" page:
"On Friday night at approximately 11:59 p.m., WBNS-10TV will sign off our analog signal as part of the government mandated DTV transition."
We can't find any information on analog shutdown times for the remaining Columbus market stations still putting out analog signals: WCMH/ 4 (NBC) and WSYX/6 (ABC).
A number of Columbus market stations have already turned off the analog juice: WTTE/28 (Fox), WOSU/34 (PBS), WSFJ/51 (TBN) and WWHO/53 (CW)...
LIMA: We wish all TV engineers were like Block NBC affiliate WLIO/35's VP/engineering Frederick Vobbe, who is well noted for sharing information online.
Vobbe's separate engineering site, WLIO.net, confirms the station's analog shutoff time for channel 35:
"On June 12th at 6:59AM we will sign off WLIO analog.
During 'First Edition' from 6AM to 7AM, we will be talking about the transition, and at the end of the news show we will press the button for the last time.
During the day, our technical staff will be disassembling the 1964 transmitter, which will be scrapped out."
We'd like to put a call out to viewers within range of WLIO's analog channel 35, especially...we'd love to see that in video, even if it's posted to YouTube or something. (We'll presumably also find it on WLIO's website, under the news rebroadcast section, but we'd like to see it off of analog 35.)
Lima's only other full power station, religious/independent WTLW/44, shut off its analog signal some time ago.
Lima's other network affiliates, WLQP-LP/18 (ABC), WOHL-CA 25 (Fox) and WOHL-LP 38 (CBS), are now owned by Block/WLIO, and are not subject to the full-power mandated analog shutoff.
WLIO VP/engineering Vobbe detailed the digital plans for the Lima LPTV stations in an earlier item on his blog...
Monday, June 8, 2009
A Busy DTV Week
We've reached the point of no return in regards to the digital TV transition. And at this point, even a member of Congress wildly waving hands and laying down on the DTV Track won't stop the end of full-power analog TV in the United States, by the end of the day this Friday.
Yep...THIS Friday.
So, those who have to deal with the transition are looking at what could happen after Friday.
The New York Times and Washington Post weighed in less than a week before DTV Day, in articles over the weekend. We chuckled at the Times' almost panicky headline - "Millions Face Blank Screens in TV Switch".
Quoting:
But the latest survey by the Nielsen Company indicates that as of the end of May, more than 10 percent of the 114 million households that have television sets are either completely or partly unprepared.
Later in the article, you find out that about 9 million of those sets are second TV sets in another room in the home...which means the households themselves could well be prepared on main viewing sets.
Both articles point to the next step in DTV preparedness...the need to install, adjust or otherwise deal with antennas. Among those in that boat are FCC acting chairman Michael Copps,...quoting the Post article:
Michael J. Copps, acting chairman of the FCC, said he's having his own reception problems. When he upgraded his TV set in February, the picture was excellent. But now that the leaves have grown back on the trees surrounding his house, some stations don't come in as well.
Far too little DTV education attention has been paid to antennas, even in this interim period between the original DTV transition date and the new one. Just three days ago, we saw one of those standard NAB-produced DTV education spots...with a very brief antenna mention. The graphic onstreen pointed to a small, indoor antenna on top of the converter box.
We also haven't seen nearly enough about the need to rescan your digital box after Friday, particularly in markets like Cleveland...where two major network affiliates (NBC affiliate WKYC/3 and Fox affiliate WJW/8) land on entirely different RF channels after the transition.
In this region, after Friday, many areas won't see any problems.
Those within reasonable distance from the Parma antenna farm, in southern Cuyahoga County or northern Summit County, should have few difficulties...particularly when WKYC lights up its new RF 17 digital facility, and ideastream PBS affiliate WVIZ/25 lights up its full power signal, from the antenna now officially mounted upon the new tower the stations are sharing at the WKYC transmitter site.
A hat tip there to WKYC senior director and "Director's Cut" blogger Frank Macek...it would appear from his description, and what we have already reported, that the new antenna will broadcast a combined signal for WKYC (RF 17) and WVIZ (RF 26).
As of yet, we haven't seen a peep out of the new full-power WVIZ digital signal...we expect it'll light up sometime between now and Friday, given the station's effort to secure early use of the post-transition facility it would otherwise not be able to use until Friday. WKYC will move its digital facility to RF 17 on Friday.
OK, so you're under 20 miles from Parma, you have a decent aim at the antenna farm, and you'll probably be happy after Friday, give or take a lower powered CBS affiliate that is struggling to upgrade its digital signal on RF channel 10.
OMW hears that Canadian coordination issues are still holding up Raycom Media WOIO/19's application to upgrade from 3.5 kW to 10.3 kW, and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that on the other side of this is London ON powerhouse CFPL/10.
Why Raycom picked a digital channel already occupied by an analog signal often seen along Lake Erie in the middle of the Cleveland market is beyond us. To make matters worse, whenever Canada transitions to digital - currently the deadline is 2011 - CFPL isn't budging from 10 for its digital signal!
But what if you're in the "parentheses" part of the Cleveland/Akron TV market?
The Nielsen folks call Ohio's largest TV market, officially, the "Cleveland/Akron (Canton)" market...and its those folks in Stark County and beyond, on the fringes of the market, that will struggle the most when it comes to getting digital signals.
In the analog world, viewers from Mansfield to Ashtabula could "skate by" with a snowy 3, 5 or 8 signal out of the Cleveland area... much like your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) can endure a little snow from the area's local "Retro TV" outlet, WAOH-LP 29 Akron/W35AX 35 Cleveland, if we really want to catch up with Jim Rockford again.
But in the digital world, that "snowy signal" doesn't translate into a watchable digital picture in many cases. The signal at a similar level just won't decode, and you don't have the choice to endure interference to watch.
And as a result, some Canton area OTA digital viewers have turned to signals like Youngstown CBS affiliate WKBN/27 (and its now HD digital Fox subchannel), which are certainly easier to receive than WOIO-DT's anemic 3.5 kW signal that far from Parma.
Canton is still very much part of the Cleveland/Akron market, parentheses and all. We're not expecting any cable or satellite carriage in Canton from WKBN, NBC affiliate WFMJ/21 and sister CW affiliate "WBCB", or even ABC affiliate WYTV/33 whenever it lights up its 1000 kW digital signal.
But...many of the Cleveland market stations will lose over-air only viewers in Stark County to Youngstown. Others, on the western edge of the county, may not even have that over-air option.
So, here's where we sit. Keep watching ODTV and OMW for updates, including word of when WVIZ-DT will finally light up its full-power signal.
We're also still trying to find out the analog shutoff times of a handful of area stations, including all three remaining full-power stations in Youngstown (Western Reserve PBS' WNEO/45 already consigned analog 45 to the scrap heap last November...its Akron simulcaster, WEAO/49, does so at a minute before midnight on Friday night).
As far as we know, WKYC, WEWS, WJW, WOIO and WUAB still plan to dump analog at 10 AM Friday...though as we mentioned, WKYC's analog 3 will continue airing for the next few weeks as a nightlight/DTV information station...
Yep...THIS Friday.
So, those who have to deal with the transition are looking at what could happen after Friday.
The New York Times and Washington Post weighed in less than a week before DTV Day, in articles over the weekend. We chuckled at the Times' almost panicky headline - "Millions Face Blank Screens in TV Switch".
Quoting:
But the latest survey by the Nielsen Company indicates that as of the end of May, more than 10 percent of the 114 million households that have television sets are either completely or partly unprepared.
Later in the article, you find out that about 9 million of those sets are second TV sets in another room in the home...which means the households themselves could well be prepared on main viewing sets.
Both articles point to the next step in DTV preparedness...the need to install, adjust or otherwise deal with antennas. Among those in that boat are FCC acting chairman Michael Copps,...quoting the Post article:
Michael J. Copps, acting chairman of the FCC, said he's having his own reception problems. When he upgraded his TV set in February, the picture was excellent. But now that the leaves have grown back on the trees surrounding his house, some stations don't come in as well.
Far too little DTV education attention has been paid to antennas, even in this interim period between the original DTV transition date and the new one. Just three days ago, we saw one of those standard NAB-produced DTV education spots...with a very brief antenna mention. The graphic onstreen pointed to a small, indoor antenna on top of the converter box.
We also haven't seen nearly enough about the need to rescan your digital box after Friday, particularly in markets like Cleveland...where two major network affiliates (NBC affiliate WKYC/3 and Fox affiliate WJW/8) land on entirely different RF channels after the transition.
In this region, after Friday, many areas won't see any problems.
Those within reasonable distance from the Parma antenna farm, in southern Cuyahoga County or northern Summit County, should have few difficulties...particularly when WKYC lights up its new RF 17 digital facility, and ideastream PBS affiliate WVIZ/25 lights up its full power signal, from the antenna now officially mounted upon the new tower the stations are sharing at the WKYC transmitter site.
A hat tip there to WKYC senior director and "Director's Cut" blogger Frank Macek...it would appear from his description, and what we have already reported, that the new antenna will broadcast a combined signal for WKYC (RF 17) and WVIZ (RF 26).
As of yet, we haven't seen a peep out of the new full-power WVIZ digital signal...we expect it'll light up sometime between now and Friday, given the station's effort to secure early use of the post-transition facility it would otherwise not be able to use until Friday. WKYC will move its digital facility to RF 17 on Friday.
OK, so you're under 20 miles from Parma, you have a decent aim at the antenna farm, and you'll probably be happy after Friday, give or take a lower powered CBS affiliate that is struggling to upgrade its digital signal on RF channel 10.
OMW hears that Canadian coordination issues are still holding up Raycom Media WOIO/19's application to upgrade from 3.5 kW to 10.3 kW, and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that on the other side of this is London ON powerhouse CFPL/10.
Why Raycom picked a digital channel already occupied by an analog signal often seen along Lake Erie in the middle of the Cleveland market is beyond us. To make matters worse, whenever Canada transitions to digital - currently the deadline is 2011 - CFPL isn't budging from 10 for its digital signal!
But what if you're in the "parentheses" part of the Cleveland/Akron TV market?
The Nielsen folks call Ohio's largest TV market, officially, the "Cleveland/Akron (Canton)" market...and its those folks in Stark County and beyond, on the fringes of the market, that will struggle the most when it comes to getting digital signals.
In the analog world, viewers from Mansfield to Ashtabula could "skate by" with a snowy 3, 5 or 8 signal out of the Cleveland area... much like your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) can endure a little snow from the area's local "Retro TV" outlet, WAOH-LP 29 Akron/W35AX 35 Cleveland, if we really want to catch up with Jim Rockford again.
But in the digital world, that "snowy signal" doesn't translate into a watchable digital picture in many cases. The signal at a similar level just won't decode, and you don't have the choice to endure interference to watch.
And as a result, some Canton area OTA digital viewers have turned to signals like Youngstown CBS affiliate WKBN/27 (and its now HD digital Fox subchannel), which are certainly easier to receive than WOIO-DT's anemic 3.5 kW signal that far from Parma.
Canton is still very much part of the Cleveland/Akron market, parentheses and all. We're not expecting any cable or satellite carriage in Canton from WKBN, NBC affiliate WFMJ/21 and sister CW affiliate "WBCB", or even ABC affiliate WYTV/33 whenever it lights up its 1000 kW digital signal.
But...many of the Cleveland market stations will lose over-air only viewers in Stark County to Youngstown. Others, on the western edge of the county, may not even have that over-air option.
So, here's where we sit. Keep watching ODTV and OMW for updates, including word of when WVIZ-DT will finally light up its full-power signal.
We're also still trying to find out the analog shutoff times of a handful of area stations, including all three remaining full-power stations in Youngstown (Western Reserve PBS' WNEO/45 already consigned analog 45 to the scrap heap last November...its Akron simulcaster, WEAO/49, does so at a minute before midnight on Friday night).
As far as we know, WKYC, WEWS, WJW, WOIO and WUAB still plan to dump analog at 10 AM Friday...though as we mentioned, WKYC's analog 3 will continue airing for the next few weeks as a nightlight/DTV information station...
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