Permanent HD channel assignments in 2009

[Will]

I read that many of the channels currently assigned for HD OTA may be changing once analog goes away in 2009.  I'm trying to find out if any locals might be assigned to VHF -- will I need more than my UHF antenna (CM4221)?  It picks up channel 8 (10-1) just fine, but won't do lower VHF channels well at all.

I've done a search to find out which channels the locals will be using with not much success.  Does anyone know what the permanent channel locations will be for OTA local stations after 2009?  Has it even been determined yet?

Thanks,
Will

[Gregg Lengling]

I read that many of the channels currently assigned for HD OTA may be changing once analog goes away in 2009.  I'm trying to find out if any locals might be assigned to VHF -- will I need more than my UHF antenna (CM4221)?  It picks up channel 8 (10-1) just fine, but won't do lower VHF channels well at all.

I've done a search to find out which channels the locals will be using with not much success.  Does anyone know what the permanent channel locations will be for OTA local stations after 2009?  Has it even been determined yet?

Thanks,
Will

Only 1 station has elected a channel other than their current DTV assignment and that is 18 who is on 61 right now, but 61 will no longer be a valid channel in 2 years so they have selected 18 for their digital assignment.  This means channel 10 (WMVS) is the only one who will be on VHF at channel 8.  Here's a complete list:

Analog         Current DTV           Final DTV
4                  28                           28
6                  33                           33
10                  8                             8
12                 34                          34
18                 61                          18
24                 25                          25
30                 22                          22
36                 35                          35
55                 40                          40
58                 46                          46

Hope this helps!

[Will]

Thanks for the info -- that is exactly what I was looking for.  (Where did you find it?)

I have one more question:  Will the transmitter for 6-1 move to the current 6 analog tower location at any point in the future?  

I still get dropouts on 6-1, and if they move their transmitter, I will be a happy camper!

[Gregg Lengling]

Thanks for the info -- that is exactly what I was looking for.  (Where did you find it?)

I have one more question:  Will the transmitter for 6-1 move to the current 6 analog tower location at any point in the future?  

I still get dropouts on 6-1, and if they move their transmitter, I will be a happy camper!

The transmitter is already co-located at the Main channel 6 tower and has been for well over 1 year.  The information was on the FCC website in and Excel Spreadsheet.

[bradsmainsite]

According to the research I've done about 95% of the country will be VHF-Hi band and UHF only.  Thats channels 7-13 & 14-51.

While the rest of the country less than 5% will have any low band at all due to the fact of impulse noise in the lower band channels 2-6 otherwise seen as "sparkles" in your picture on analog.  What happens is this usually causes dropouts in digital pictures during the spikes (sparkles) of the impulses and most tv broadcasters are in the words of HDTV primer "fleeing low band(2-6) like rats from a burning ship"!

If you are in an area to also receive Greenbay channel 11 will go back to 11 instead of uhf 51 when the transition occurs according to the 2nd round channel elections filed with the fcc.

[Will]

The transmitter is already co-located at the Main channel 6 tower and has been for well over 1 year.

Gregg,

Thanks again.  Perhaps I should aim my antenna there!  I was getting my (apparently bad) info from antennaweb.org -- they still show 6-1 at a different tower than 6 analog.  See attached picture from the site.

Line A is 6-1, and line D is 6 (among others).  Right now I'm aimed right at line A.  Looks like I'll be up in the attic tonight!

[js6751]

Does this mean that most of these stations will rebrand? I guess I'm just a little confused. For example, would TMJ4 become NBC28? Are the 4.1/4.2 channels going away once the digital transition occurs?

[LoadStar]

Does this mean that most of these stations will rebrand? I guess I'm just a little confused. For example, would TMJ4 become NBC28? Are the 4.1/4.2 channels going away once the digital transition occurs?

No. WISN will still be 12, WTMJ will still be 4, etc. Digital broadcasters use something called PSIP to "remap" the digital channel automatically back to the old, familiar channel number.

Viewers won't even know this is going on (unless something happens to the PSIP, of course). They'll just tune their TV to "channel 4," and the TV will tune to digital channel 28.

[Talos4]

will,

That info is still  from a while ago.  

Fox6 started their digital transmissions from their tower at the studio's on Green Bay Road and Brown Deer Road using a rusty coat hanger and a AAA battery.

As Greg said, they moved their permanent transmitter to the Tower of light at Capitol drive and Estabrook park.

[Will]

will,

That info is still  from a while ago.  

Fox6 started their digital transmissions from their tower at the studio's on Green Bay Road and Brown Deer Road using a rusty coat hanger and a AAA battery.

As Greg said, they moved their permanent transmitter to the Tower of light at Capitol drive and Estabrook park.

Talos4,

This was a thread from 2006, but believe it or not, antennaweb STILL has the 6-1 tower listed at the old location.  I sent antennaweb a note about their bad info back then.

I can't tell you how frustrating it was back in 2006 until Gregg pointed me in the right direction (literally).  It's kinda crummy that the place to go to find the proper antenna / tower locations still has it wrong.