OTA Station Status: Seattle, Tacoma, Bellingham WA

[stampeder]

Thanks for contacting them, Bruno.

So they have a new digital transmitter and gear capable of only 480i@4:3 signal? I'm not convinced, so I still want to know if their transmitter and gear is capable of 1080i@16:9 regardless of the content or its availability.

I try not to use the term "High Definition" when discussing these things with broadcast techs since it muddies the waters a bit.

[sputnik]

I would quess that the 8VSB transmitter can hander either SD or HD as it really is a 19.2 Mbit pipe. From the signal quality, and the time delay, it almost looks like they are MPEG encoding the analog video sudio feed. It may be that their MPEG encoder only supports SD.

Glad they are up and running. Digital SD is an improvement but HD would have been even better.

Kind of a waste of bandwith. They could mulitcast another 3 SD programs with the extrea capacity they have doing nothing.

[VBC1]

I have a feeling that TV12 is not doing very well financially. I remember when I first arrived in Canada, TV12 was one of my favourite stations ("your are watching TV12, your spacestation" premiering ST Voyager and many other new things). Ever since, their ratings, I think, have been declining, especially when they got shifted from channel 12 to 23 on cable in Vancouver, to yield to The New VI.
I even think them building this high-power DTV transmitter is a move towards trying to regain more viewership. Since this is an old tv station, I guess their studio tech gear may be quite old, and for station upgrades towards 'HD-ready' would be a big financial investment, I guess they would need to completely upgrade the master control and other things, which may not be an option in their current state.
I receive their DTV signal (will post results later in Vancouver thread) and the picture quality is identicle as on cable (looks a little washed-out); when I watch Seinfeld on CW11 and TV12 on cable, CW11 picture is much much better and sharper/colourfull and all - this may be result of TV12's old gear (?). So if my guess is close, HD content would then be a whole new issue and problem. If their new DTV transmitter is even HD ready, would also be interesting to know too. So I think it is all financially motivated, and I just hope it does't end up as it did with KBCB. I doubt many OTA DTV signal recepients are counted into TV ratings, so this may not show as staight increase in viewership. I hope we can all help TV12 maybe advising about what sort or (inexpensive) programming would be interesting to watch; except for Seinfeld, I don't personaly find much of interest for their tv schedule. And I also hope they will make and air some promo clips about their new free DTV signal and how to receive it (problem is also that OTA DTV awareness is extremely low in Vancouver).

[stampeder]

KVOS has changed hands a few times over the years, and to me it seems like they lost their zing.

In my opinion that last owner, Clear Channel, turned them into a pretty plain, generic part of their plain, generic network of stations. Clear Channel laid off local Bellingham staff and programmed the station from their Oklahoma headquarters. Add to that the fact that several minor networks came up in the US (UPN, MyTV, etc. etc.) and it seemed that the pool of programs and the local feel wasn't there on KVOS anymore.

Here's hoping that whichever company buys them will re-instill that great feeling that KVOS once had. I'm optimistic. Building the DTV transmitter is not something they did of their own choice - they have to make the 2009 cutover date or go off the air.

VBC1, if you haven't seen them, there are posts going back in this thread about KVOS's ownership issues over the last couple of years that might interest you.

[FaxCap]

KVOS was a CBS affiliate for a long time. I never understood if dropping CBS was their idea or CBS's.

FaxCap

[levibluewa]

much of a CBS affiliate. They seldom cleared any CBS network shows live, especially if it interferred with their 20 hours a day of Frisky Frolics and I Love Lucy reruns.

[danbcman]

I posed this question to KCTS this evening...

Hi:
A question I have I know from my cable we are included in all that you do, you're very inclusive of us her in BC. Now the interesting question I have is you have great OTA HDTV I know this as I pick it up during the correct weather conditions which brings me to my question To offer us the BC contributors and many that support KCTS here in BC would it not be possible to have a repeater on Orcas Island as KVOS TV has done to offer their service to those that choose a cable alternate and in this give the supporters here the full multi channel benefits that your local US supporters get?

[VBC1]

When I recently contacted KCTS, I asked them about any possibility of making a DT repeater near lower mainland area, serving Vancouver, and they told me they did look into it some time ago, but found it financially unviable and is unlikely.
They said they have a good relationship with Shaw here and rather rely on their services. When I pointed out that only their analog signal is available on Shaw (digital is that of PBS Spokane), they said - they are in talks with Shaw to also bring KCTS-DT (HD) to Shaw.

[nukdoc]

I find it quite astonishing that all of the Seattle
Stations are reluctant to put repeaters in the
Bellingham-Victoria-Vancouver region. It would
add roughly 3 million viewers to their local Seattle advertisers.
Many Canadians would be very interested in
US based sales, as doubt many frequently shop in the United States,
and will do so in larger numbers, particularly as
our dollar continues to strengthen.

If I'm not mistaken, Shaw and other cable providers
substitute Canadian programming and Canadian
commercials for equivalent US programs and commercials,
so they are currently losing 3 million viewers for their Seattle
advertisers by going with Shaw. I don't see how the Shaw carrying
fees would compensate for the reduced ad rates, (or in subscriber
campaigns in the case of KCTS) but
perhaps I'm missing something.

[danbcman]

I am just waiting for thier reply and I will post it as it arrives. I did fill out the survey at their site about viewers and DTV.
http://www.kcts.org/digital/newsletter/index_survey.asp
Dan

[danbcman]

As promised the reply....

Thank you for your interest in KCTS Television.

Unfortunately, our Chief Engineer has informed me that it is very
unlikely that you could receive us over the air in the BC area. We do
not have any 'repeater' channels that you could reach us on. I believe
we are available via cable in that area.

Thank you again for writing, and I am sorry I could not be of more
assistance.

Best regards,

Viewer Services Representative
KCTS Television

[hamann]

Anyone notice a drop in signal strength for KIRO-7.1 recently? This channel has been very strong at my location for about 6 months little or no dropouts, now for a few weeks it does not exist? Also, I have noticed a drop in signal strength for many other U.S. stations. Any ideas why?

[danbcman]

kiro for me is right at zero too

[danbcman]

kcpq is coming at 88% all evening 18.1

[danbcman]

Seems KCPQ-DT 18.1 has gone off line mo image no signal?