Aaron62

Oh absolutely, and it's a lot of the lower income, "hot spot" areas that will have the toughest time of it all. and the thing is, everyone whose TV shows static on June 12 or June 13 will flood the phone lines or the FCC's DTV coupon page to order a coupon, and it'll take 2-4 weeks to receive it. I'd like to see the FCC set up some special coupon disbursement areas in markets who will be hit hardest on the digital transition. Wonder how tough it would be to send a couple of Government employees out with a computer that could access the FCCs master database, activate a coupon, and hand them out to consumers who need them?

Lurker Lee

Aha, here is a synopsis of the help line calls - "Record Number of Consumers Call FCC's Help Line for Assistance in Response to DTV "Soft Test". Some of the reasons people called are interesting like "They did not think the stations they watch would switch to digital" and "They were not aware of the switch to DTV".

Interestingly, the 12th is a Friday, so by the time some people notice, it will be the weekend. Wonder if that was intentional, to reduce wear and tear on their phone system. Wasn't the February date in the middle of the week?

1inxs

I don't believe that had anything to do with it. I think the 90 day extension just fell on that day. The original transition was on Tuesday February 17, 2009.

Lurker Lee

Ninety days would have put it in mid-May. This is closer to 4 months, but not exactly. I know there is probably some logical reason that they chose that date, but I think I like my "weekend conspiracy" theory

Just kidding.... mostly.

1inxs

Duh, my mistake. They delayed the transition for 4 months not 3. But that would put the transition date on June 9, 2009 not June 12. Maybe they just rounded off the 4 months? It's the Government, maybe it has no reason

Piggie

This article is a classic, wait till June 13th (and some are shutting off early on June 12th, so it will be a lose it channel by channel all day in most towns).

There is a point here totally missed that is as big as the broad term "unready".

VHF at power levels too low to carry more than maybe 20 miles to a 20 to 30 ft antenna.

Actual Ch - Call - Power
RF08 - KNOE - 22.3 KW ERP could go to 34.8 KW
RF11 - KAQY - 12.3 KW ERP could go to 47.4 KW
RF13 - KLTM - 17.2 KW ERP could go to 41.4 KW

If they are having the most trouble with KNOE, and all the towers are in the same general spot, it is the one closest to maximized power.

They list KTVE as a problem. They are running 800 KW on UHF which is so close to maximized it might as well be (1000KW is max) but they moved from RF 10 to UHF, and used to run max power on RF10 (VHF). So now no matter way they will never quite have the same range.

Another point they missed is 3 of their channel are VHF or will be, with 2 on the air now for sure and VHF isn't bothered by trees. I live in the SE with the same big oak trees. I look right through an oak trees at Jacksonville FL, that loose their leaves in the winter. There is very little difference in signal with the leaves.

If I were to draw conclusions based on the channels used, power, and location of the towers, I would guess people in town are too far away to get a good signal on the VHF channels or their antennas are old. If they did have outside antennas before they had to have had a VHF/UHF combo of some type as before transition they had both.

I think this reporter needed a story and an audience, more than this area is unique in the stations it has. The one thing does stand out is the social-economic status of the area. Besides that they are blowing smoke up the wrong hole.

Jay

Wow, wasn't expecting that much data, great find.