date for Fox6 to upgrade

[Gregg]

When must Fox6 improve their HDTV signal by?  Also, is it an FCC requirement?

Thanks

[mhz40]

I heard May-June '05.

[Tom Snyder]

FCC Requirement is a city-grade signal over their city of license. On paper, I believe they are already in compliance.

[Gregg Lengling]

Actually there is a new deadline to cover 85 to 90% of the analog signal area by May of 2005, so they will have to do something this spring as they only meet the old generic ruling.  This new ruling applies to the top 100 markets and only applies to the 4 major networks...NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX.

[Tom Snyder]

How recently did they make that rule? 6 has said that they're gonna be upping their power this spring... does that correspond with the new rule, or were they palnning on it just as their matter of course?

Does 58 meet that requirement yet?

[foxeng]

Originally posted by Tom Snyder
How recently did they make that rule?

The ruling comes from the Second DTV Review issued in August.

[mhz40]

I thought the broadcasters were arguing all along that due to high demand, the transmission gear was not available from the manufacturers.  I guess they lost on that one...

[foxeng]

Originally posted by mhz40
I thought the broadcasters were arguing all along that due to high demand, the transmission gear was not available from the manufacturers.  I guess they lost on that one...

That was almost 3 years ago.

[borghe]

you guys want to hear something funny...

the city of license that stations are required to cover right now is only the city's primary post office's zip code.. lol...

not saying anything about anything, just a funny tidbit to pass on.

anyway, yeah as has already been said, May 2005 the top 4 networks in the top 100 markets are supposed to cover all of their class A analog contour and most of their class B analog contour.

[FiberOptic]

What don't the other channels broadcast in HDTV, like Nick, Disney, CNN etc?

[foxeng]

Originally posted by borghe
you guys want to hear something funny...

the city of license that stations are required to cover right now is only the city's primary post office's zip code.. lol...

It has always been over the main post office, which was in the downtown district since the start of the FRC, then the FCC. City grade signal never had anything to do with population density, but signal level over the downtown district (main post office specificly) where most people lived in the early part of the 20th Century. That is one rule that has never been updated. That is why AM directional stations have such great signals to downtown areas at night and no signal in the suburbs where the people now live.

[Tunebug]

Has FOX made any changes, or did the snow help my reception?  I was able to watch the FOX digital broadcast last night for the first time, and there was very little pixelation.  Pretty good signal.  Have they boosted there power, or did the snow somehow help my reception?

(P.S.  It has been suggested that rotating my antenna away from the WISN tower may help improve my reception of the FOX signal.  I have never tried it, but if last night was due to the weather, perhaps this trick may be worth a try.  Thoughts?)

[Gregg Lengling]

No there have not been any changes.   They are still transmitting Flea Power from their low power temp. antenna that is lower on the tower.  Hopefully they will meet the May 1, 2005 deadline to provide better coverage required by FCC rules.  I think part of it is just getting a REAL Transmitter and Amplifier and installing it.  However right now they are concentrating on building their new Switching and Control Room.  Lots of work going on at Fox6.