KIMT launches weather radar 3.3

KIMT recently launched channel 3.3, a 24/7 weather radar slideshow. The audio on the channel is from NOAA's Mason City all-hazard station, KXI-68.

This means that Channel 3.2 is now broadcasting MyNet programming full time.

KTTC Goes 5.1, Upgrades encoder?

As of a few weeks ago, KTTC 10.1 began broadcasting in 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound!

Reports have also surfaced that the picture quality is dramatically improved, which indicates the station upgraded their encoder.

Previous to this, KTTC was using an encoder that was over ten years old. The station's picture used to be littered with encoding artifacts, especially on fast motion material such as sports.

KSTC Adds ThisTV on 45.2

As of roughly 6/29/10, KTSC, a 1,000kW independent station from the Twin Cities, is now broadcasting ThisTV on channel 45.2. The network plays a lot of old "classic" programming, not unlike the popular cable channel TV Land. This TV is also available in the area on 19.3 WXOW LaCrosse and 18.3 WQOW Eau Clare.

KNXR isn't a 24 hour station

Interesting factoid: Rochester's 100,000 watt blowtorch, 97.5 KNXR is not a 24 hour station. They are only operational from 6AM until slightly after 1AM. The transmitter is shut off after their broadcast day ends.

K19ER-D (ETWN) now live on DT 16 in the Twin Cities

As was have mentioned previously, KTCI, Twin Cities Public Television's secondary facility used to broadcast on digital channel 16 at a mere 50kw. They then switched over to channel 23, sporting a coverage area on par with KTCA's channel 34 facility. For some time, KTCI was simulcasting on channels 16 and 23.

On 4/30/10, it was reported on the AVS Forum's Minneapolis, MN - OTA thread that K19ER, a Cities EWTN translator had begun broadcasting on the facility. The channels are mapped 16.1-5 and all are currently displaying the same program. It is assumed that they will fill the other four subchannels with different programming, but from what I know of EWTN, they only have three channels - an English channel and a Spanish channel and a radio feed.

Rochester' TBN Translator K56HW Goes Off Air

As you may know, low power translator stations have not been forced to convert to digital yet. Many translators, especially those owned by local stations (as opposed to satellite networks) have already made the jump to digital.

In the Rochester area, K56HW (56, TBN) and K58GC (58, 3ABN) kept pumping out analog after the transition.

K58GC, being a 3ABN affiliate, will eventually convert to digital but that may be a ways off due to the network's budget.

TBN announced long ago that they would cut their analog translators and in most cases weren't going to bother replacing them with digital translators.

This became reality recently. Some time in the last couple weeks, K56HW went off the air never to be replaced by a digital channel.

Classic Hits 103.9 Becomes Z-Rock

The Post Bulletin is reporting that 103.9 KLCX is switching formats from "Classic Hits 103.9" to "Z-Rock" which is already broadcast on KDZZ 107.7, a low power station east of Rochester. The addition of 103.9 will give Rochester listeners better coverage.

103.9 and 107.7 have frequently changed formats throughout the years. 107.7 used to be "Oldies 107.7" then switched to "Classic Hits 107.7." 103.9 went on the air, duplicating 107.7 in order to give Rochester better coverage, thus the station was known as "Classic Hits 103.9/107.7." On April 1st 2008, 107.7 became "TV 107-7." The whole day, the station played a loop of TV show theme songs. On April 2nd 107.7 became "Z-Rock 107.7" while 103.9 stayed with the classic hits format.

For those unfamiliar with the Rochester dial, the "Classic Hits" format competed among a number other similar stations for listeners, including Laser 101.7 (generic Classic Rock), 89.9 KRPR (wide variety/AOR Classic Rock) and Cool 104.3 (Oldies).

WQOW Adds ThisTV on 18.3

Eau Clare's ABC affiliate added ThisTV to their lineup sometime last week on subchannel 18.3. Their sister station, WXOW in LaCrosse added ThisTV early last month.

WXOW Adds ThisTV on 19.3

WXOW, the ABC affiliate from LaCrosse (RF 48, Ch. 19.1-3) just added channel 19.3, a ThisTV affiliate. They broadcast ABC on 19.1 and CW on 19.2.

KTCI goes full power, moves to RF 23

For quite some time now, Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) has owned two stations in the Twin Cities market: KTCA and KTCI. Back in the analog days, KTCA was on Ch. 2 and KTCI ran at a relatively low power on Ch. 17. KTCI broadcast aviation weather in the daytime and some auxiliary PBS programming in the evening.

Enter the pre-transition digital era. KTCA-DT (2.1-2)had two subchannels, while KTCI (17.1-5) was stuffed with five. Eventually, they decided to put two subs on KTCA at 2.1-2 (2.1 TPT 2, 2.2 TPT Life) and two on KTCI 2.3-4 (2.3 TPT MN, 2.4 TPT Wx).

KTCA has been on Ch. 34 at 662 kW for quite some time now, which allows for full coverage.

KTCI was still on Ch. 16 at a mere 50kW, which leaves most rural viewers out in the cold. To remedy this situation, they are moving to Rf 23 at 375 kW, which will (hopefully) give it about the same coverage as KTCA.

They were supposed to go live tomorrow (Thursday 1/28/10) but reports have surfaced that RF 23 is now operational, so rescan your TVs!

TPT's KTCI going full power soon!

KTCI will be moving from DT-16 to DT-23 on January 28th, 2010. It is in their DTV info ad and in their monthly magazine. This should push their range to similar results as KTCA, while slightly weaker due to the different in power levels on KTCA (662kW ERP) and KTCI-DT-23 (375kW ERP)

KTTC's LaCrosse translator W67CH goes offline

On Wednesday November 4th, a member of the AVS Forum's LaCrosse/Wausau, WI - HDTV thread posted a confirmation that W67CH (ch. 67), KTTC's analog translator to the LaCrosse area was no longer in operation.

KTTC La Crosse Translator W50DR Online

At 2:10PM today, W50DR went on the air, from an antenna that is about 606 meters above sea level. Side mounted, the antenna is on the Wisconsin-side leg of the WXOW tower.
I am getting traces of it in Kasson, MN and it is at 15kW ERP, so it should get out well with decent LOS.
Rescan to get channels 10.1, 10.2

KTTC's LaCrosse Tanslator to go Digital

A member of the AVS Forum's LaCrosse/Wausau, WI - HDTV thread posted an e-mail from KTTC's chief engineer Tim Morgan regarding the station's LaCrosse translator. The e-mail reads:

We will start installing the broadcast antenna early next week, perform
some testing and hopefully start broadcasting a digital channel 50
signal by the end of the week. Stay tuned to WXOW or KTTC analog channel
67 in the La Crosse area as we will be promoting the start date for this
channel.

Thank You,
Tim Morgan, KTTC-KXLT-NTTC Director of Engineering

KAAL Digital

As of October 9th, 2009, KAAL will no longer be broadcasting on both DT-33 and DT-36. This means that viewers will now need to make sure their antennas are aimed at the Grand Meadow tower that KAAL-DT/KXLT/KSMQ share.

EDIT: Right around noon today (Oct. 9th) KAAL-DT-33 went off the air and DT-36 became the ONLY way to receive their programing (that is until the Mason City translator comes online)

KTCI

It has long been known, that KTCI (TPT 2.3/4) would like to move its' digital OTA RF channel from 16 to 23 and increase power from 50kW to 375kW as well as use an antenna mounted much higher on the current tower. This morning their filing with the FCC was entered into the FCC database.
They are guessing that everything will be in place to make the final move in January 2010.

Dolby Digtal 5.1 Suround Sound Audio?

I recently finished installing a surround sound audio system for my living room at home, and I have become interested in which stations pass Dolby Digital (DD) 5.1 or 2.0 channel audio.
5.1 audio stands for 4 surround speakers (one each side of the viewer), 1 center channel (dialog), and the ".1" stands for the sub woofer. 2.0 channel audio is just basic stereo audio composed of two channels of audio.

Many shows produced in HDTV (if not all) include 5.1 audio, but it takes special gear to handle the audio in most cases, so it also depends on the encoder at the local affiliates.

So as to which stations push 5.1 audio when available by market:


Rochester/Austin/Mason City:

KIMT > 5.1
KAAL > 2.0
KTTC > 2.0
KSMQ > 2.0
KYIN > 2.0 (see note at the bottom)
KXLT > 5.1


Twin Cites:

KTCA > 5.1
WCCO > 5.1
KSTP > 5.1
KMSP > 5.1
KARE > 5.1
KTCI > 2.0
WUCW > 2.0
WFTC > 2.0 (see note again)
KPXM > 2.0
KSTC > 5.1


LaCrosse/Eau Claire:

WKBT > 5.1
WEAU > 5.1
WXOW > 2.0
WQOW > 2.0
WLAX > 5.1
WHWC > 2.0
WHLA > 2.0
WEUX > 5.1


(notes: KYIN is a member of Iowa Public Television and they are rumored to be adding 5.1 audio to the HD sub channel in the coming months on all of their stations.
WFTC surprised me, but then I went and looked and in the 3 biggest markets (NYC, LA, and Chicago) Fox owned My Network affiliates are also not running 5.1 audio, so in the Twin Cities, it is probably not a high priority. WFTC is an Owned and Operated [O&O] of Fox. Also remember that only the HD sub channels include 5.1, depending on station of course.)

WEUX now in HD!

Months after the digital transition, the chief engineer for Eau Clare's FOX affiliate WEUX announced on the AVS Forum that they began broadcasting in HD this afternoon (9/10/09) at around 2:08PM. The HD subchannel is on 48.1 and the SD version is 48.2.

WFTC Done

WFTC switched to RF channel 29 tonight. I am waiting for some reception reports to see how it has helped or hurt most people. My signal strengths are not as great as I had hopped, nowhere near the power of KSTC. Please reply and let us know what you think of the new channel.

New Channels

CSPAN2 and CSPAN3 are in Clear QAM this afternoon. They were added late this morning or early this afternoon.

CSPAN2 is 116-3 at 720x480i (4:3)

CSPAN3 is 116-4 at 720x480i (4:3)

As to the Charter boxes, I am going to check and see when the new channels become active and post a reply back about the new HD channels.
Also, Zap2It is not currently listing CSPAN2/3 yet in the listings. (this usually takes 1-7 days)

EDIT:

As of this morning, the new HD channels are active in the digital boxes and the analog channel moves and deletes have been made.