Category Archives: National

Local News, National

Steve Moreen Hired by Dielectric

Dielectric, headquartered in Raymond, Maine, named Steve Moreen to represent the company’s radio and TV antenna, filters, transmission line, and other RF accessories to broadcasters. He joined the company shortly before the NAB Show, so was seen manning their booth this year. Most recently, he was President of RF Specialties of California and past Chapter 36 Program Chairman.

Steve Moreen

Steve said the RF Specialties of California team of Jeff Motta, Nigel Worrall, Bill Newbrough and Tom Driggers are busy operating the office and using him from time to time as a consultant on more complex orders. Steve is looking for a new principal to lead the office. Anyone with an interest may contact him at his RF Specialties email address.

Steve took over RF Specialties of California in 2009 and has grown their sales steadily ever since.

Dielectric anticipates an increase in its business with the FCC TV Spectrum Auction that requires stations to move to TV channels below 37. Many of those stations are looking to install antennas with both horizontal and vertical polarized radiators in anticipation of the adoption of ATSC 3.0 after the repacking projects are finished.

Best of Site, Local News, National

FCC Issues TV Spectrum Auction Results

The FCC today announced both the winners of the spectrum auction and the station winners of cash.

There are surprises

FCC LogoSomehow it seems just wrong to have such classic stations as WNBC-TV New York go dark, taking their $214-million auction winnings with them. Just so you don’t get too teary-eyed, they will be able to channel share with their superior signal from Comcast O&O sister WNJU. Comcast stations in Chicago and Philadelphia will also shut down and multiplex with their NBC sister stations. For more information, see the FCC, Broadcasting & Cable and TV Technology sites.

The biggest spenders in the auction:

  • T-Mobile at $8-billion,
  • Dish Network (“ParkerB.com”) second at $6.2-billion
  • Comcast (“CC Wireless Investment”) at $1.7-billion
  • AT&T at $910-million

Interestingly, Verizon did not participate.

In San Diego DMA 28

Locally, the big money winners were KSEX-LD getting over $34.7-million and K35DG (UCSD-TV) getting $24-million to each shut down their operations. Also,

  • KBNT-CD will move from channel 25 to 24
  • KNSD-TV 40 will move from channel 40 to 17
  • KPBS-TV will move from channel 30 to 19
  • KSWB-TV will move from channel 19 to 26

San Diego was assigned Phase Two in the repacking process. This means stations must complete new construction and begin broadcasting on their newly assigned channels by April 12, 2019.

You may ask yourself why make unnecessary moves? Why not just have KPBS take channel 26 and KSWB stay on 19? It has to do with the pre-determined rules on how stations were going to shuffle. Preference is given to a channel change over a loss in population coverage. KSWB was going to lose a thousand or so viewers, so bingo, they get a new channel along with a new antenna, filters, and possibly a transmitter funded by auction proceeds.

Low power UHF broadcasters on channels 38 – 50 like KSDY-LD will have to wait until the FCC opens a window allowing change applications and hope they can get spectrum. There is no guarantee and no compensation offered.

Meanwhile In Los Angeles DMA 2

If you were wondering how LA was going to fit in all those TV stations, wonder no more. Most are going to shut down for good. Ethnic viewers may lose out in the short-term, though ATSC 3.0 will allow stations to multicast like never before, and TV cable with switched digital service and FTA satellite serve those constituents well.

  • KAZA-TV will go off-air for $91.1-million
  • KBEH will go off-air for $146-million
  • KCBS 43 will move to channel 31
  • KDOC-TV Anaheim will get $66.6-million to move to channel 12
  • KESQ-TV 42 Palm Springs will move to channel 28
  • KILM will go off-air for $76.5-million
  • KJLA will go off-air for $135.5-million
  • KLCS (LA Unified School District) will go off-air for $130.5-million
  • KMIR 46 Palm Springs will move to channel 26
  • KNET-CD will go off-air for $53.7-million
  • KNLA-CD 50 will move to channel 32
  • KOCE-TV 48 (PBS) will go off-air for $138-million
  • KPXN-TV 38 will move to channel 24
  • KRCA will go off-air for $142-million
  • KSFV-CD 23 will go off-air for $64-million
  • KTLA 31 will move to channel 35
  • KVCR-DT 26 (PBS San Bernardino-Riverside) will move to channel 5 for $157-million
  • KWHY-TV 42 will move to channel 4

Not all low power stations are listed for the Los Angeles DMA.

National

No Chapter 36 Meeting in April – See You at the NAB Show!

The Society of Broadcast Engineers has a busy schedule this year at the NAB Show in Las Vegas April 22 – 27.

Saturday, April 22, SBE hosts the annual day-long Ennes Workshop, with a selection of technical presentations–a mix of new technologies and applications of old technologies.

Visit the NAB Booth in the Las Vegas Convention Center North Hall Upper Deck (new location) starting Monday April 24 to check out the books, answer questions, and enter a daily drawing for prizes.

Tuesday they have the Spring Membership Meeting, a fast-moving update of SBE business with a prize drawing at the end. A Member Reception follows with snacks and door prizes.

National

SBE IRLP HAMnet Tonight

Tonight is the bimonthly SBE HAMnet that originates in Denver but broadcasts on Echolink for everyone to listen/participate.

We hope to have this linked into our repeater soon but for tonight join them on Echolink.

More Info:

The SBE IRLP (Internet Repeater Linking Project) HAMnet is today (Monday), at 9 p.m. US ET (6 p.m. US PT) and worldwide via IRLP reflector 9615.

The SBE IRLP HAMnet uses the Denver-based N0PQV repeater 145.340, IRLP node #3350. The SBE IRLP Reflector, Node 9615, is now connected to the world via Echolink using a computer as well as via radio. This reflector is also connected full time to the WA2CBS repeater in New York City.

We hope you’ll join us.

-Matt

National

FCC Proposes Permissive Use of ATSC 3.0

The FCC last week issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would give TV stations the right to use ATSC 3.0. This was made in response to a petition made in April 2016 by a consortium of Public Television, NAB, the Consumer Technology Association, and the AWARN Alliance.FCC Logo

There are several catches, however. One would require stations to continue broadcasting in ATSC 1.0 as they do now. The other is that manufacturers would not be required to produce equipment that could be used to decode the signals. The likelihood that broadcasters would use the technology is near zero, especially due to upcoming TV spectrum repacking that will use all available bandwidth in just about every market. A third hurdle is that consumers would have to bear the cost of converting the ATSC 3.0 signals to something usable with present TV sets.

Broadcasters and manufacturers will have an opportunity in the coming months to comment on the NPRM.