CBS and PBS (channel 44) in Boston, MA

[donald]

I have been using 2 different attennas on 3 tvs. One is a rabbit ears on an analog set with converter, one is an lcd with a phillips flat disc antenna and the third is another analog with the same phillips. I just lost CBS and PBS (channel 44) stations on all three sets. How do I get them back.

 

[MrPogi]

The fact that the stations disappeared from 3 different setup at the same time points to the stations themselves as the culprit. They may be having problems, or they may have moved or changed something.

Call the stations and ask them if anything has changed. You can also fill out a TV Fool reception report, that would help us to determine the cause. We don't even know what city you are in, so we can't be more specific about whats happening there.

 

[Unregistered]

lost stations on OTA

I am in greater Boston and have lost CBS and PBS on three separate sets wuth two different types of anr=tennas

 

[Aerial]

Really require the tvfool radar report. Use the exact address to make the tvfool radar report and make the antenna height 25 feet. TV Fool

 

[Tim58hsv]

For unknown reasons both channels are out at this time in the Boston area. They're still available on some pay tv services but not over the air.

Do let us know when they come back on.

Thanks.

 

[dkreichen1968]

Monday, April 9, 2012

A problem at a transmitting tower has made Boston’s CBS station, WBZ Channel 4, temporarily invisible to people who use antennas, and also affected channels 5 and 38.

“We were watching the Masters. It was just before they were getting the green jackets; they were walking off the green and the picture went out,” said Joleen Carleton, who was watching with Ruland Sears of Milford at his home. They also noticed that channel 38 went out.

The problem, according to Boston Business Review, is equipment failure at a transmitting tower in Needham, Mass. Few details were available, but was expected to be fixed today or tomorrow, April 10.

The problem did not affect cable-TV transmission. WBZ-TV said in a statement that only 7 percent of its total audience still uses free, over-the-air signals. Channel 38, owned by CBS, is a sister station to WBZ.

Boston’s ABC affiliate, WCVB Channel 5, resumed over-the-air signals Sunday using a low-power backup transmitter that has trouble being detected in parts of Greater Nashua.

The situation revealed one weakness in using traditional antennas to get television reception, but that doesn’t affect the main benefit of the old-fashioned system.

“It’s free,” said Carleton.

– DAVID BROOKS

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/956591-196/tower-problem-kills-channel-4-for-antenna-using.html

 

[MrPogi]

The situation revealed one weakness in using traditional antennas to get television reception,

Um, I don't think satellite or cable are any more reliable. In fact when Pay TV goes out, it usually goes ALL THE WAY OUT. With OTA TV, you may lose a channel or a few, but there's usually lots of others still broadcasting. In fact, if all my cable channels went out I wouldn't be too concerned. "Meh, someone hit a telephone pole." But if all my OTA channels went down, I'd be afraid - that would mean that at least 30 transmitters in 5 locations up to 40 miles apart suddenly stopped at the same time. Yea, I'd be very afraid.

Also, "Old-Fashioned"? Someone needs to give Mr. Brooks a lesson on Antennas and "modern digital TV". I'll bet he pays for his TV to stop working.