Re: [IRCA] Copper/Radials

[Scott Fybush <scott@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Mike McKenna wrote:
> 
> I am not a HDTV fan.   But facts are facts. Not ONE TV station has
> turned in it's HDTV channel -- because they couldn't aford the
> equipment,  no one had receivers, etc.  In fact -- over 60 analog
> stations have turned in their licenses and now operate ONLY a single
> HDTV channel -- even years before being required to do so.  Facts are
> facts.  

What Mike says is about 99.5% true. There was at least one noncommercial 
TV station somewhere down South that did indeed turn in its license 
rather than build out DTV. (Not "HDTV," which is just one of the formats 
that a station can run, but is not required to run, over a DTV signal.)

I can't think of the station off the top of my head, but I bet Doug 
Smith knows. I know the licensee was a small college, and IIRC, they 
decided they could reach all the audience they needed to reach by going 
cable-only and returning the broadcast license.

There are a lot of small stations that have been sold at a loss to their 
owners lately in part because of all the sunken expenses of the DTV 
transition.

Those 60+ analog stations that are turning in their licenses and going 
DTV-only aren't doing so out of the kindness of their hearts, either - 
they're doing it, for the most part, because Qualcomm and other winners 
of auctioned spectrum are paying them (and paying them well) to vacate 
those channels early.

And there are plenty of stations that are still resisting building out 
their full DTV facilities (and in some cases, any DTV facilities at all) 
until they're dragged, kicking and screaming, into it.

It would take less than one year to produce a new FM receiver
> with a new "lower band" from 54 to 88 Mhz.   The value is not in the
> built station -- but a CP.   Giving each AM daytimer a 5 year period
> to move over to FM only is not going to hurt anyone.  It was done
> with the extended AM band stations.  It's not up to the public alone.
> Broadcasting is a BUSINESS.   When was the last time you heard of a
> AM daytimer making money or providing good local programming ?? 

In addition to the examples Craig cited, I can name a few in my neck of 
the woods - WSBS 860 Great Barrington MA, which provides sterling 
service to southern Berkshire County. Bob Bittner both makes money and 
provides good local programming at his WJIB 740 Cambridge MA and WJTO 
730 Bath ME. WYBG 1050 Massena NY continues to do OK in its small 
market, as does WTBQ 1110 Warwick NY. None of them are BIG business, but 
they're paying the bills and serving an audience.

s
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