Hey Fox 6... Better get busy or you'll be next!

[Tom Snyder]

The FCC has ordered a bunch of major market stations broadcasting at low power to power up or else... because we're a slightly smaller market, WITI isn't in the list...YET.  

http://www.tvinsite.com/broadcastingcable/index.asp?layout=print_page&doc_id=&articleID=CA238204">Article HERE

[techguy1975]

I know how much you all like to pick on Ch. 6, but...wouldnt this rule also affect Ch. 58?  Seeing as, if I recall correctly from a chat with Jim Hall, ch.58 isnt using their full dtv broadcast power.

Why? Because no one is watching yet..  Yes, ch.6's signal is a joke right now, but... stations are going to loose money.  The cost of running one full power TV transmitter is enough... two, would be much much more..  Which will affect the bottom line.. not a good thing...

[Joseph S]

 

Why? Because no one is watching yet.. Yes, ch.6's signal is a joke right now, but... stations are going to loose money.

Well, here's one expected price tag.

 

Dick Warsinske, GM at KOMO-TV Seattle, one of the stations ordered to beef up transmissions. "We're going to spend $2,000 to $2,500 more a month on electric bills when the difference in coverage area will be insignificant."

Run 2-2.5 more food dehydrator spots to cover the added bill.   The programming will be available this fall and the stations had better show it. I'm sure Rupert Murdoch will really feel the pain paying the extra $24,000 a year at his local "Hard Copy" affiliate WHDH. After the treatment I received calling Sinclair headquarters with my complaint, I won't mind if one of those slimeballs loses their job. At least Hear$t-Argyle can lie to me in a clear calm fashion.

 

Why? Because no one is watching yet..

That's because they don't broadcast beyond their parking lot and nobody can watch it.

[Kevin Arnold]

It's a circular argument. The idea was for DTV owners to be able to receive the signals in the majority of the service area by just using a simple indoor antenna. No cable or satellite hassels at all. The FCC screwed up by allowing all the low power business resulting in what we have here: people buying rooftop antennas and expensive indoor amplified antennas. This policy gurantees poor acceptance.
And the argument station owners use makes no sense from the aspect of the big picture. Imagine in the early 80's if record companies refused to make CD's until enough people had bought players. "Let's see, I'm supposed to buy a $200 player that has no product to use, but if enough of us do this, they might make some CD's"
If you have to jump thru hoops to get the signal the average consumer won't want to do it. I think the FCC is slowly realizing this and moving to correct their error. If
Fox 6 doesn't want to spend the bucks to do this right they can always turn in their channel 33 assignment so that someone who will do it gets a shot.

[borghe]

It should never be the consumer's responsibility to get the ball rolling. I don't want to sound to high and mighty for the sake of our wonderful station managers that are here, but it is the stations' jobs to get people to watch. It's the stations' jobs to get people to just tune in. If you get them tuning in and then reassure them that you are broadcasting HDTV, maybe even throw a url up there to pages on your site talking about HDTV, people will slowly begin buying this stuff. I think 4 and 58 are a little unfortunate right now. They have their HDTV promo spots up, but that's it for Milwaukee. So the people watching 6, 12, 18, and 24 know little to nothing about HDTV or HDTV in Milwaukee. Heck, does 10 even advertise it? It sucks that 4 and 58 have to carry the flag on this alone. Hopefully they will receive more help in September if/when 12, 18, and 24 begin broadcasting.

BTW, speaking of STAs, does anyone know if 12, 18, and 24 don't have STAs now, does that make them ineligible to get them in the future?

[Mike Sheahan]

You guys aren't missing anything by not receiving 6-1.

It doesn't look any better than over the satellite.

The only local station that can really call it's self HDTV is 58.

The only reason I plunked down $3000 for an HDTV was to see the best picture I could afford.  

I never once said "Boy I can't wait to tune in that low-res multicast PBS station.", or "I can't wait to see the Packers in that crappy 480P that FOX is going to be offering."

How do they think they are going to get people to buy the new stuff if this is all they are willing to offer?!?

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