[tvlurker]

Not likely. There are no pending applications for CHEX at the CRTC.

 

[wilspin]

Yup no such luck. back as analogue, seems like the power output is lower.

 

[Brightonian]

I see on WTVH website that their transmitter is down due to problems and
are airing on 3.3.
They often have issues with that transmitter.
I noticed it was down when I was getting OMNI 1 on RF47 at 100% strength.

 

[El Gran Chico]

CHEX / CKWS news

News from CHEX / CKWS:

OTA Update: As of December 2012, we have just received the corporate go-ahead for the capital purchase of OTA digital transmitters in Peterborough and Kingston. There are site surveys to be done, installations, and modified fibre feeds linking the transmitter sites, but we should be HD OTA by early spring 2013. 16:9, and full HD for our news program productions will commence down the road, and will depend on other upgrades.

http://chextv.com/general/High_Definition_TV_at_CHEX_TV.aspx

 

[mrvanwinkles]

Good news for Kingston and Peterborough!

And if it happens, as mentioned, by early spring 2013 - that's pretty quick.

Quicker than I thought it might happen. I was figuring a year or two down the road.

So ya, good news.


CORUS / CBC Kingston, CKWS 11 / CHEX Peterborough - planning to go digital in the near future, and announcing it. Thank you - good decision.

( the CKWS signal must reach into the U.S. - and that will be another plus, as a good representative of the CBC and CANADIAN broadcasting to U.S. viewers. Variety for all - Over the Air )


[ read on the forum (forgot where exactly) that GLOBAL Peterborough is going or has gone digital ? The various broadcasters may start to go now, like dominos ... with time. Watch the action soon / now... hopefully.]

 

[El Gran Chico]

Global Peterborough

mrvanwinkles, Global Peterborough will be converted next Wednesday (January 9th).

https://community.shaw.ca/docs/DOC-1348#click3

 

[roger1818]

[ read on the forum (forgot where exactly) that GLOBAL Peterborough is going or has gone digital ? The various broadcasters may start to go now, like dominos ... with time. Watch the action soon / now... hopefully.]

Well, I gather CTV is already broadcasting digitally in Peterborough (CFTO-DT-54) and TVO shut theirs down, so I don't know what dominoes are left after CIII-DT-27 and CHEX.

Also, I thought I read somewhere that Bell was to put a CKVR repeater in Peterborough. Did that ever happen? TVFool doesn't have any mention of it.

 

[roger1818]

Global Peterborough will be converted next Wednesday (January 9th).

For clarity, it is Global Toronto's Peterborough transmitter (CIII-DT-27). Peterborough does not have its own Global TV station.

 

[tvlurker]

Well, I gather CTV is already broadcasting digitally in Peterborough (CFTO-DT-54) and TVO shut theirs down, so I don't know what dominoes are left after CIII-DT-27 and CHEX.

Also, I thought I read somewhere that Bell was to put a CKVR repeater in Peterborough. Did that ever happen? TVFool doesn't have any mention of it.

CHEX and CKWS are supposed to convert soon. I wouldn't hold my breath for CTV Deseronto on 6. Never heard of a CTV2 repeater for Peterborough, only for Hamilton and Fonthill, which are already in service.

 

[roger1818]

CHEX and CKWS are supposed to convert soon.

Yes, early spring 2013 as mentioned earlier.

I wouldn't hold my breath for CTV Deseronto on 6.

Agreed. The only reason CFTO-DT-54 transitioned was the analog transmitter was out of band.

 

[roger1818]

I was just talking to a contact at CKWS and he said that although spring 2013 transition was published, he thinks that is a bit optimistic and they most likely "won't begin any major changes until the [hockey] season has come to a close" (for both Kingston and Peterborough).

Also, CKWS's Smiths Falls and Spencerville transmitters are unlikely to be transitioned due to the small market area they cover (but never say never ).

 

[thenewdc]

Has anyone checked the Peterborough station, supposed to convert today? Anyone know if they are DTV now?

 

[mrvanwinkles]

The Dominos

Yes, those are the other dominos in the area I was thinking of:

CTV CJOH Deseronto, Ontario - ch 6

When you going digital there BCE / Bell?
Also ... so that you can offer CTV TWO on a subchannel for your viewers there ? You guys ... Because now/soon you'll be in competition with a CBC digital in the area [ CKWS 11 Kingston ] ? CBC in HD digital OTA.


Yes ... and also for the repeaters of CKWS ... the time will come.

CKWS Corus / CBC Kingston 11 repeaters:
Brighton 30 (already digital on 66.1 ? )
Smith's Falls 36
Prescott 26


Global 2 in Bancroft.
Now that's a problem ... never really had good coverage in Kingston.
Distance and 2-edge.


But generally, the Dominos I was speaking about, included *ALL* smaller market stations that are still ANALOG. Across the Country.

Competition and time and technology, customers and sponsors will bring the conversion issue forward ... if Government and Regulation (end date?) do not.

 

[roger1818]

^^^Oh, I thought you were talking about stations in Peterborough (CJOH-TV-6 is not readily receivable in Peterborough and is redundant anyway). The transmitter most needed in Peterborough is likely CityTV, but CTV two is a close second.

I am not sure that these upgrades will put much if any pressure on CTV to do more upgrades as they don't really care to much about OTA, using it only to get simsub rights.

I believe the Brighten transmitter is CHEX not CKWS.

As for Smith's Falls and Prescott, as I said earlier, they are not on the radar as they serve a very small population and it is difficult to justify the expense of the upgrade.

CIII-TV-2 in Bancroft is a real problem. There is no way they will get anywhere near the same coverage with DTV that they are getting in analog on channel 2. They may have more success getting CKWS to not object to them adding a Kingston transmitter with the close political ties between the two owners (Shaw and Corus), so that should help (they may even let them use their tower). If they were thinking it is also possible that they bought the old SRC/TVO tower (not sure if it was for sale).

 

[El Gran Chico]

... they don't really care to much about OTA, using it only to get simsub rights

They also use them as bargaining chips with the CRTC. Bell threatens they'll be forced to shut them down whenever the CRTC rules against them.

Since the only useful hostage is a live hostage, I'd expect CJOH-TV-6 to continue as is until it physically breaks or Bell terminates it to follow through on a threat.

 

[Obed]

Yes.
100% signal strength and quality here in Far East Scarborough.

 

[tvlurker]

I believe the Brighten transmitter is CHEX not CKWS.

Brighton is definitely CKWS. CKWS has repeaters in:
- Brighton, serving Belleville,
- Spencerville, serving Prescott
- Franktown, serving Perth and Smiths Falls

CHEX has repeaters in:
- Bancroft
- Oshawa, although this isn't really a repeater, but a separately programmed station serving the Durham region

As for Smith's Falls and Prescott, as I said earlier, they are not on the radar as they serve a very small population and it is difficult to justify the expense of the upgrade.

As for Smith's Falls and Prescott, as I said earlier, they are not on the radar as they serve a very small population and it is difficult to justify the expense of the upgrade.

More to the point, the Smiths Falls transmitter, and to a lesser extent the Prescott one, were installed to combat co-channel interference with channel 11 from Herberts Corners. Were CKWS to convert to digital on channel, likely they would cover Perth and Smiths Falls from Kingston anyway. (At least for rural viewers with outdoor VHF antennas, anyway.)

CIII-TV-2 in Bancroft is a real problem. There is no way they will get anywhere near the same coverage with DTV that they are getting in analog on channel 2. They may have more success getting CKWS to not object to them adding a Kingston transmitter with the close political ties between the two owners (Shaw and Corus), so that should help (they may even let them use their tower). If they were thinking it is also possible that they bought the old SRC/TVO tower (not sure if it was for sale).

I agree, and I suspect that is why Bancroft is the only Ontario Global transmitter that has yet to apply for a digital license.
Putting up something on CTV's tower in Pembroke and either the Corus or CBC Tower in Kingston makes more sense. Another alternative would be the Foymount tower formerly used for CBC-TV, but the problem there might be getting a good frequency allocation, since the 14 allocation was moved from there to Ottawa. (And 14 wouldn't work in Kingston because of Syracuse's 14, anyway.)

But moving anything from the current Venachar site would likely involve a non-trivial CRTC application instead of a Part I application, so I'm sure they're exploring all their options first.

 

[Brightonian]

I agree, and I suspect that is why Bancroft is the only Ontario Global transmitter that has yet to apply for a digital license.
Putting up something on CTV's tower in Pembroke and either the Corus or CBC Tower in Kingston makes more sense. Another alternative would be the Foymount tower formerly used for CBC-TV, but the problem there might be getting a good frequency allocation, since the 14 allocation was moved from there to Ottawa. (And 14 wouldn't work in Kingston because of Syracuse's 14, anyway.)

I'm not aware of any RF 14 in Syracuse.

Why is no one using RF48? Not in use in Toronto, Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester or Ottawa areas. Closest one I know of is in London.

RF50 and RF51 also seem like good choices.

 

[roger1818]

RF50 and RF51 also seem like good choices.

RF51 is under moratorium in the US as it interferes with LTE services in the 700MHz band. Existing license holders can continue to operate, but no new licenses will be granted for that channel. I haven't heard if IC has the same moratorium, but they may not allow its use for the same reason.

 

[roger1818]

Brighton is definitely CKWS.

My bad, I was confusing Brighton and Bancroft.

Putting up something on CTV's tower in Pembroke and either the Corus or CBC Tower in Kingston makes more sense.

Agreed. The increased coverage provided by CIII-DT-6 after it moves to 14 may also help. I am sure they are investigating all the possibilities and feeling out the CRTC to see if they will allow such a change.

It would be interesting to see a map with all of CIII's contours east of Toronto. Are there only the 3 transmitters (CIII-TV-2, CIII-DT-6 and CIII-DT-27)?