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Graham Brock, Inc. |
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Broadcast Technical Consultants |
| Vol. XVI, No. 1 |
R. Stuart Graham, Jr. |
| January 2009 |
Jefferson G. Brock |
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As we begin our 16th year of business,
we send you our best wishes for a prosperous New Year! |
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Digital Transition and All things TV |
February 17, 2009 is a month away, and all analog
full service TV will cease to operate, or will they?
As we reported last month, a bill to extend analog
transmissions a month beyond the transition was
being prepared. The bill was signed December 23,
2008 and a Petition for Rule Making was issued by
the Commission. The proposal would allow continued
operation of analog transmission facilities for an
additional 30 days, until March 19, 2009. The
transmissions would be limited to educational
information to alert consumers what steps will be
necessary to receive the digital service. Comments
were due January 5, 2009 and replies by January 8,
2009.
In the interim, NTIA, the agency charged with
providing coupons for analog-to-digital converters,
has run out of funding for the coupons, creating a
waiting list based on the expiration of the coupons
already issued, or more funding. Another bill is to
be introduced in Congress to provide funding for
outdoor TV receive antennas for consumers who might
need them. The Obama transition team has requested
that Congress step in and push the transition date
back. The Commission has also selected a dozen
grassroots groups to assist with an outreach program
in 82 TV markets to aid in the transition to
digital.
The Commission has also released a Notice of
Proposed Rule Making to establish replacement
Digital Low Power Translators to provide a fill-in
to areas that will lose coverage as a result of a
digital facility which does not completely cover the
area of the present analog operation. This is
becoming a very complex matter and subject to
changes on a daily basis. Stay tuned....if you can! |
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Broadcast and Newspaper Cross-Ownership Waivers |
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The Commission has extended the deadline until
February 9, 2009 for the filing for extended
waivers, new requests for waivers, or requests
for permanent waivers of the broadcast/newspaper
cross-ownership rules.
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More IBOC Power |
| The FCC has issued
experimental authorizations to four stations to
operate in the hybrid digital mode with their
assigned higher power level. These stations will
increase digital power from 1% of analog to 10% of
analog under these new authorizations. |
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No Action on AM on
FM Translator Rules |
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months ago the Commission was poised to
change the FM translator rules to allow
the re-transmission of AM stations on FM
translators. However, the proposal was
removed from the FCC’s agenda. While
they are still allowing the submission
of requests for Special Temporary
Authorization for such re-transmission,
no permanent authority has been
forthcoming. |
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STL’s, Again |
| Alright, we gave you a
month off from Studio Transmitter Link
news. While there is nothing on the
horizon with respect to this band, we
still regularly come across systems that
are not properly located, on the right
frequency, or have any type of
authorization. Since the coordination
methods are no longer being addressed
locally, with the local coordinators
knowing who is on which frequency in the
area, this has become a greater issue
for facilities. This usually comes up
when someone receives a notice from
another nearby town of an impending
change or during the sale of a station.
Do not wait till the last minute. If
your STL license does not accurately
reflect the transmit location, receive
location, frequency, antenna, and/or
polarization, it should be updated.
Otherwise, when you wake up and hear a
distant station being re-transmitted on
your station (or worse, the station
across town on your frequency), don’t
say you weren’t warned. |
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