Milwaukee HDTV Full Frontal Assault!

[Matt Heebner]

Hey all,
With today being the May 1st digital deadline, and the total lack of any type of coverage, I think it is neccessary to wage a HDTV assault on the Journal Sentinal.
There are over a hundred members now participating on this forum. What I propose we do is start emailing and calling the Journal about their coverage on HD, and the digital transition. I think one of the main issues is the COMPLETE lack of digital station listings and programming in the TV guide that comes on Sunday. I mean come on, the have every damn listing for cable around the entire state, but they won't devote a couple of lines to the digital programming on the local channels. They haven't even identified what stations are out there.

I am going to start collecting email addresses and names of the people we want to contact, and I will post them as soon as I can. If anyone already knows them, please post them. I encourage everyone to contact them about atleast getting the stations identified in the TV guide. You never know...if they start publishing what's in HD, and when, you might start seeing people getting interested.


Matt

[This message has been edited by Matt Heebner (edited 05-01-2002).]

[Tom Snyder]

Go get 'em Matt!

While you're at it, get Katrina Cravey's email address to so we can Contact 6 and report all the stations that didn't meet thier deadlines!  

[Matt Heebner]

Alright guys...
I have some phone numbers and email addresses of the TV Cue listings.
Editor:
Chris Foran
CForan@onwis.com
414-476-2182

Listings:
Roberta J Wahlers
RWahlers@onwis.com
414-476-2212

And for you Tom:
Contact Katrina by calling (414) 355-6666
or write to:
Contact 6
9001 N. Green Bay Road

You have to email through the www.foxsix.com  website.

I encourage everyone to email regarding the lack of digital station listings and programming.

Matt

[Steve Mann]

FWIW... I emailed the following via their website. I'll post any info I recieve.

=============

I'm curious as to your current DTV/HDTV broadcasting status. I'm aware that you are presently sending a DTV signal, but it seems to be at a very low power. Some associates at www.milwaukeehdtv.org  are able to receive your signal, though us folks farther than 5-6 miles away aren't having much luck. Other stations in the area broadcasting in DTV are being received here in Greenfield with no problem. I believe the proximity of stations and their towers should equate to generally equal reception in my area.

I would appreciate any update or information you can supply. Are you in a 'testing mode'? Will you be increasing power shortly?

I'm looking forward to enjoying my favorite Fox6 programming in 'digital' format.

Regards,

Steve M. Mann


[This message has been edited by Steve Mann (edited 05-14-2002).]

[Matt Heebner]

Did you find another email address for FOX, or did you send through the "Contact 6" email app?
I really wanted to email the station manager, but couldnt find any type of address.

Matt

[Steve Mann]

Yeah, I used the 'Contact 6' page. I just used the 'programming' selection from the dropdown list on the web form. They've hid their email addresses pretty well.    

[This message has been edited by Steve Mann (edited 05-14-2002).]

[Matt Heebner]

I am enclosing the email I just sent to the editor of the TV Cue section of the Journal/Sentinal. Again, I encourage everyone to write regarding this.

Matt


 

I am writing in regards to the complete omission of Milwaukee's digital station listings and programming in the Sunday Journal/Sentinal TV Cue. I was hoping that the J/S was going to start including the station channel numbers and what programming would be on. It would also be helpful to indicate whether or not that program would be broadcast in High Definition. As you probably know, the FCC has mandated that all commercial television stations must be broadcasting digitally by May 1. That deadline has passed, with a majority of Milwaukee's broadcast stations having, and operating a digital station with programming. I understand that most broadcasts will be duplicated on the analog broadcasts, and that those listings would work for the digital stations. However, it would be beneficial to the broadcasters as well as the consumers if the TV Cue section noted that these stations broadcast digitally, and where applicable, in high definition.
 
I have encouraged the members from a local forum, www.milwaukeehdtv.org  to write regarding this. I think it is important to start including listings of these stations considering that eventually all stations and programming are going to be changing to an all  digital transmissions in the very near future. I have noticed that you include every cable station for all of southeastern Wisconsin, as well as every VCR+ code for every show. I truly hope that you will start including this important information as well.
 
Thank You,
Matt Heebner

[Matt Heebner]

I emailed FOX as well Steve. I too used the "programming" email.
 
Come on everyone, with enough emails maybe they will address this issue with the low power. I even asked if the would address the forum.

Matt

[Gregg Lengling]

I have John Baich's e-mail and it's been posted on this web site before..he's the VP of Engineering.  By the way I bought a new antenna at a swapfest a couple of weeks ago and finally put it up yesterday at 50' on the top of my tower in Cedarburg, added a preamp and fed the system with low-loss well shielded RG-6.  Well my TV intermittantly finds 33-1 but never enough signal to decode.  If I'm lucky it'll pop up with a 20 or 22 signal level...not well enough to receive.  The 3 other stations are all in the 90's.  John B. from 6 emailed me but didn't give me all the poop, just the story of damaged equipment.  However he did state that the antenna on the studio tower is aimed at Milwaukee, which means those of us North or West of Milwaukee will never receive it as we are in the back and side nulls.  He reiterates that they are doing structural work to their main tower to handle the DTV antenna but didn't give any time frame.  MAYBE BEFORE THE SECOND COMING!!!!


------------------
Gregg R. Lengling
RCA P61310 61" 16x9
gregg@camelcomm.com