At the FCC

[CircleSeven 1955]

On 8/25/2021 at 11:21 PM, CircleSeven said:

There's an amendment regarding one of the petitions. 

Dominion Broadcasting's WLMB Toledo proposed to move from VHF 5 to UHF 35. It was advanced to NPRM on March 4.

 

But it appears to be a complaint north of the border (don't know if CRTC or Global TV complained). The Canadians feared that WLMB's new signal could interfere with Sarnia-Oil Springs, ON Global affiliate CIII-29, which operates on the same allotment (RF 35).

 

Here's the contours of both signals (WLMB new signal & the CIII-29's).

 

So, WLMB has amended its petition to swap its antenna from an omni-directional to a directional one. But it appears that they want to stay on RF 35.

 

Don't know if this would remedy the Canadian's interference concerns. The contours don't look much different.

 

Seems that the amended changes have passed muster.

 

The FCC issued an R&O, effectively greenlights WLMB's channel switch from 5 to 35.

[CircleSeven 1955]

Two PRMs have advanced to NPRMs.

• KSCW (12 > 28)
• KTVQ (10 > 20)

Just a bit of history regarding KSCW. RF 12 was the allotment used by sister station, KWCH. After the DTV transition, folks complained they couldn't receive KWCH's signal. So former owner Schurz decided to switch facilities. KWCH moved to 19, and KSCW move to 12.

 

Fast forward twelve years later, Gray wants the other station off of VHF.

[CircleSeven 1955]

Looks like we have another hold up regarding one of the petitions.

 

This is pretty much similar to what is occuring in Medford where the LP doesn't want to move away from their allotment. King Kong Broadcasting, which owns KGNG-LD (which operates on RF 26) filed comments opposing of Scripps' channel move of KTNV from VHF 13 to UHF 26.

 

King Kong states that the KTNV's move "would eviscerate the outstanding broadcast offerings of" KGNG, since the station carries subchannels that are geared towards minority & underserved viewers. And yes, (just like what happened in Medford), King Kong has placed a "counter-proposal" to have a new full power signal on RF 26.

 

On the reply comments (p.5), Scripps made an offer to King Kong to donate its old VHF 13 equipment and let King Kong temporary operate KGNG's signal from KTNV's downtown studio (at the expense of Scripps), while they build a brand new permanent facility. King Kong turned down that offer and filed that opposition.

 

This placing a "counter-proposal" is nothing more than a "tactic" to delay KTNV's process to move to that allotment. Filing a new allotment petition (similar to what Gray did in Freeport last year) normally take years to do. And when it does get approved, they still have to wait until FCC start a new auction. That process could also be lenghty.

 

But in the end, like I stated in the Medford situation, King Kong don't have any standing. KGNG-LD is a regular low power station (not a Class A). And LP don't have protection in their allotments. And if KTNV wants to move to that allotment, it can. KGNG just doesn't want to move again, after leaving RF 47 during the spectrum repack.

 

It'll probably be lenghty, but I believe the FCC is going to greenlight KTNV's petition and throw that "counter-proposal" in the cellar.

 

 

Edited February 27, 2022 by CircleSeven

[nathannah 2438]

19 minutes ago, CircleSeven said:

This placing a "counter-proposal" is nothing more that to delay KTNV's process to move to that allotment. But in the end, like I stated in the Medford situation, King Kong don't have any standing. KGNG-LD is a regular low power station (not a Class A). And LP don't have protection in their allotments. And if KTNV wants to move to that allotment, it can. KGNG just doesn't want to move again, after leaving RF 47 during the spectrum repack.

 

It'll probably be lenghty, but I believe the FCC is going to greenlight KTNV's petition and throw that counterproposal in the cellar.

If they had one of those minority services on DT1, I'd see something in their response, but HSN is on DT1, along with GetTV, Buzzr, QVC2, and Alex Jones 24/7 on other channels. 5/11 of their channels actually serve true minority audiences (counting TheGrio), so there's too many holes in their argument here, and KTNV's offer is much more lenient and open than most full-power broadcasters would give to an LPTV; you wouldn't see an HC2 station ever get any of this because a full-power would think they're cute.

[CircleSeven 1955]

New M&A.

 

Legacy Broadcasting, owners of Monroe, LA's MeTV affil KMLU (formerly KAQY), is acquiring Grenada, MS LP W13CS-D from Whitfield Media, LLC for $85K.

 

It'll be interesting to see what they'll do with this station.

 

Edited March 3, 2022 by CircleSeven

[CircleSeven 1955]

On 3/19/2021 at 2:18 PM, CircleSeven said:

Anywho, Gray has filed another PRM.

 

They want to move Weston, WV's WDTV from VHF 5 to UHF 33.

And nearly one year after filing the petiition, it has now advanced to NPRM.

They had to amend the original petition to provide further analysis that some of the lost coverage areas (after the move to UHF; mostly in the far-fringe areas) would be served by other CBS affiliates in the region (KDKA, WIYE, WOWK & WTRF) and also WDTV's signal would be simulcasted on subchannel of WVFX (which operates on VHF RF 13).

 

Also, the six Scripps Montana stations have advanced to NPRM.

• KTVQ (10 > 20)
• KPAX (7 > 25)
• KRTV (7 > 22)
• KBZK (13 > 27)
• KTVH (12 > 31)
• KXLF (5 > 15)

 

And one more petition posted late Thursday (3/10)

 

Milwaukee station WIWN (owned by CNZ Communications) wants to vacate VHF-low 5 for VHF-high 7. 

 

Most folks know that RF 7 use to be occipied by Chicago's WLS, but they bolted to UHF post DTV transition (first to 44, then to 22 after the repack).

 

But a low-power station in the city have now occups that allotment. And that's Venture Technologies' WCHU-LD. And should WIWN gets approval in the channel switch, then WCHU would have to either greatly-reduce its contour or be displaced to a new allotment since LPs don't get protection.

Edited March 12, 2022 by CircleSeven

[CircleSeven 1955]

On 9/10/2021 at 1:22 AM, CircleSeven said:

And finally, KSNB received its construction permit for its RF 24 York allotment. The Federal Register posted the final rule eight days after the R&O was posted (8/31). And received the permit three days after that (9/2). That was fast.

Should the installation of the KOLN tower be completed, this would be the first time all big-4 network stations (based out of Lincoln and on its primary .1 signals) would be easily reachable in the capital city. That includes KLKN (ABC) & KFXL (Fox).

 

Follow up regarding KSNB. 

 

The station filed a license to cover on its updated facility today. Now the station hasn't made any announcements, but when a station files a license to cover, that usually indicates construction has been completed and the new facility is now in operation.

 

If that is the case, this will be the very first time OTA viewers in Lincoln can receive an "in-market" NBC affiliate on its primary DT1 signal.

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by CircleSeven

[Morphtato 43]

44 minutes ago, CircleSeven said:

 

Follow up regarding KSNB. 

 

The station filed a license to cover on its updated facility today. Now the station hasn't made any announcements, but when a station files a license to cover, that usually indicates construction has been completed and the new facility is now in operation.

 

If that is the case, this will be the very first time OTA viewers in Lincoln can receive an "in-market" NBC affiliate on its primary DT1 signal.

 

Thinking this may be related? https://www.ksnblocal4.com/2022/03/11/expect-channel-lineup-changes-thursday-due-broadcast-tower-upgrade/

[nathannah 2438]

On 3/9/2022 at 5:01 PM, CircleSeven said:

And one more petition posted late Thursday (3/10)

 

Milwaukee station WIWN (owned by CNZ Communications) wants to vacate VHF-low 5 for VHF-high 7. 

 

Most folks know that RF 7 use to be occipied by Chicago's WLS, but they bolted to UHF post DTV transition (first to 44, then to 22 after the repack).

 

But a low-power station in the city have now occups that allotment. And that's Venture Technologies' WCHU-LD. And should WIWN gets approval in the channel switch, then WCHU would have to either greatly-reduce its contour or be displaced to a new allotment since LPs don't get protection.

And the WIWN move from 44 to 5 (as Pappas was going through their bankruptcy and hadn't launched digital facilities for what would be WIWN) actually allowed that move for WLS in the first place, so it continues the chair-shuffling involved with that move from all the way in 2009. Also part of the petition is WIWN wants to launch a DTS translator for Fond du Lac proper (COL is that but they've long moved to Milwaukee FAIAP).

 

WCHU currently translates WAOE, the Frankenstation which 'moved' from Peoria to Oswego, but as they're playing the channel-hop game to get to Chicago and if they get a site in downtown, they'd be happy to let that WCHU go.

[CircleSeven 1955]

New M&A for Weigel. They're getting an LP in Cleveland.

 

They're acquiring W27EA-D from Media-Com Television, Inc. for $2.2M.

 

Don't know why Weigel doesn't want to break the bank and try to snag WBNX. They run most of their diginets on that channel (WOIO carries MeTV).

Edited March 22, 2022 by CircleSeven

[tyrannical bastard 3955]

1 hour ago, CircleSeven said:

New M&A for Weigel. They're getting an LP in Cleveland.

 

They're acquiring W27EA-D from Media-Com Television, Inc. for $2.2M.

 

Don't know why Weigel doesn't want to break the bank and try to snag WBNX. They run most of their diginets on that channel (WOIO carries MeTV).

Better Weigel than HC2.  This leaves WNIR 100.1 "The Talk of Akron" as the Klaus family's only media asset.  They turned in 1520 am several years ago, and cashed out WAOH-LD in the spectrum auction.  The two low power stations used to be the "CAT" or Cleveland Akron television network.  Much of their local programming went away in 2009 when they picked up RTV.

 

Speaking of local programming, where did "Son of Ghoul" end up?  I think it's on the Image Video stations out of Canton.

 

And WNIR still uses THIS image package to this day....

 

Upgrades are coming to W27EA for sure.  They probably still have the Video Toaster that W29AI (WAOH) launched with!

 

[nathannah 2438]

4 hours ago, tyrannical bastard said:

Better Weigel than HC2.  This leaves WNIR 100.1 "The Talk of Akron" as the Klaus family's only media asset.  They turned in 1520 am several years ago, and cashed out WAOH-LD in the spectrum auction.  The two low power stations used to be the "CAT" or Cleveland Akron television network.  Much of their local programming went away in 2009 when they picked up RTV.

 

Speaking of local programming, where did "Son of Ghoul" end up?  I think it's on the Image Video stations out of Canton.

 

And WNIR still uses THIS image package to this day....

Upgrades are coming to W27EA for sure.  They probably still have the Video Toaster that W29AI (WAOH) launched with!

 

The Son of Ghoul website is still up, and it is on the WIVM quadcast.

 

Meanwhile if Weigel keeps up Retro TV at this point like they are on WJLP solely so Luken/Get After It can't sue them when the contract expires, it's out of purely starving them out rather than an interest in 'helping' a competitor.

 

And you know a music package (at least not like the faux-WGN PAMS style) is on its last legs if you're thinking 'are these singers even still alive?'

[CircleSeven 1955]

New M&A. 

 

Tegna is acquiring Yorktown, VA LP station WYSJ-CD from Jacobs Broadcasting System for $1.15M.

 

But buried in the transaction discription (p.2 on PDF) was that WVEC is planning to file a petition to move from VHF 11 to UHF 35.

 

EDIT 4/1: Here's the PRM (WVEC 11 > 35)

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by CircleSeven

[Yankees4life 559]

10 minutes ago, CircleSeven said:

New M&A. 

 

Tegna is acquiring Yorktown, VA LP station WYSJ-CD from Jacobs Broadcasting System for $1.15M.

 

But buried in the transaction discription (p.2 on PDF) was that WVEC is planning to file a petition to move from VHF 11 to UHF 35.

 

Looks like we got a ATSC 3.0 repeater for WVEC with that purchase and WVEC itself will move to a more powerful signal

[CircleSeven 1955]

A couple of things.

• A new petition. Augusta, Maine PBS outlet WCBB filed to move the station from VHF 10 to UHF 20.
• Remember when Ramar sold its Lubbock TV empire to Gray in late 2020? Well, I was kind of surprised when I saw this app that Ramar is going to acquire this "New" LP-permit (could become K26PJ-D) from Mako Communications for $30K. Ramar still own the Lubbock radio station. It'll be interesting to see what Ramar is going to use this LP for.     

Edited April 1, 2022 by CircleSeven

[Rusty Muck 4378]

On 3/22/2022 at 10:24 PM, mrschimpf said:

And you know a music package (at least not like the faux-WGN PAMS style) is on its last legs if you're thinking 'are these singers even still alive?'

"The Spirit of Akron! On W - N - I - R" is without a doubt the closest thing to an anthem here in Northeast Ohio. Change my mind.

 

And oh god, is that WGN ripoff of "Nothing But Class" painful to listen to.

Edited April 2, 2022 by Myron Falwell

[tyrannical bastard 3955]

12 hours ago, Myron Falwell said:

"The Spirit of Akron! On W - N - I - R" is without a doubt the closest thing to an anthem here in Northeast Ohio. Change my mind.

 

And oh god, is that WGN ripoff of "Nothing But Class" painful to listen to.

Well, when you consider that it was a legendary image campaign launched by WFAA-TV almost 35 years ago, and it's been going strong almost as long on WNIR with very little change.... 

[CircleSeven 1955]

Three R&Os today.

• WNYT (12 > 21)
• KTVQ (10 > 20)
• NCE RF 4 Vernon, AL

[CircleSeven 1955]

And At last, At last At Last!!

 

After more than 16 months since filing the petition, WMC's proposed move from VHF 5 to UHF 30 has finally advanced to Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

 

This is only the comment phase of the rulemaking process, but barring any objections, this is poised to get full approval (R&O). And in the not-to-distant future, OTA viewers in Shelby County wouldn't have to rely on watching Channel 3 anymore because they can't get Channel 5. 

 

It's been a longtime coming. They tried to move off of RF 5 after the digital transition (RF 17), but it was never acted on. They even applied for a fill-in repeater on RF 14 (and asked for a waiver on the freeze on new DRTs). That app has been stalled.

 

But with today's action, this is just a couple of steps closer to getting off that VHF hell-hole.

____________________________________________

 

This is likely the final follow up regarding KSNB/KOLN.

 

Because of the launch of KSNB's powerful UHF signal (RF 24) last month, KOLN announced that it will eliminate the NBC & MeTV (4.1 & 4.2) simulcasts on KOLN's spectrum tomorrow (4/6). They kept the duplicative streams going as a grace period.

 

So the final channel lineup (based on the guides and previous releases) are as follows:

• KSNB: 4.1 NBC, 4.2 MeTV/MyN, 4.3 Ion
• KOLN: 10.1 CBS, 10.4 H&I, 10.5 Circle, 10.6 True Crime
• KCWH: 18.1 CW, 18.3 CBS
• KNHL: 5.1 CW, 5.4 Ion
• KGIN: 11.1 CBS, 11.2 NBC, 11.3 MeTV/MyN, 11.4 H&I, 11.5 Circle, 11.6 True Crime

 

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by CircleSeven

[CircleSeven 1955]

On 3/31/2022 at 4:01 AM, CircleSeven said:

But buried in the transaction discription (p.2 on PDF) was that WVEC is planning to file a petition to move from VHF 11 to UHF 35.

 

EDIT 4/1: Here's the PRM (WVEC 11 > 35)

And twelve days later, it has advanced to NPRM. That was fast.

[Samantha 2896]

The FCC released the list of 13 bidders (7 with complete applications, 6 with minor fixes needed) for TV auction 112 in a couple of months.

 

Complete

Gray Television Licensee, LLC
Major Market Broadcasting of North Dakota, Inc.
Marquee Broadcasting, Inc.
Radiant Life Ministries, Inc.
Renard Broadcasting Corp.
RxDIO.com LLC
TV-49, Inc.

 

Incomplete

BEK Sports Network, Inc.
Estrella Television License LLC
Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
SJL Television Inc.
Ventura Media Communications, LLC
Venture Technologies Group, LLC

 

A 14th bidder, Redwood Empire Public Television, Inc., was rejected.

Edited April 25, 2022 by Samantha

[DirtyHarry 727]

On 4/2/2022 at 11:08 AM, tyrannical bastard said:

Well, when you consider that it was a legendary image campaign launched by WFAA-TV almost 35 years ago, and it's been going strong almost as long on WNIR with very little change.... 

 

Spirit of Ohio (WSYX) still sounds good today.

[channel2 979]

3 hours ago, Samantha said:

A 14th bidder, Redwood Empire Public Television, Inc., was rejected.

 

Any idea why?

[CircleSeven 1955]

37 minutes ago, channel2 said:

Any idea why?

From this Public Notice:

Quote

Attachment C to this Public Notice lists one short-form application for Auction 112 classified as rejected. An applicant whose application has been classified as rejected is disqualified from participation in Auction 112. The Commission concluded in the Second Report and Order in Reexamination of the Comparative Standards for Noncommercial Educational Applicants that any application for a noncommercial educational (NCE) station that is mutually exclusive with any application for a commercial broadcast station will be returned as unacceptable for filing.

 

The applicant identified in Attachment C has checked “yes” to the Noncommercial Educational election question on its FCC Form 175 for the television broadcast stations selected on that application, is mutually exclusive with at least one application for a television commercial broadcast station in this auction, and therefore is excluded from further Auction 112 participation.

 

[nathannah 2438]

3 hours ago, CircleSeven said:

From this Public Notice:

 

Gotta give them props for trying at least; it's not like the FCC can take away their other license.

 

As for the bidders, it's shocking that Sinclair doesn't have everything in order, and good to see that Weigel is still using that spectrum auction money from WMLW to up their reach. We can immediately rule out Renard (one of Craig Fox's companies) getting anything, along with Rxdio, which going by this site has no real business plan for their Muzak service in the middle of the desert outside 'get TV spectrum...profit?'. Estrella might have their name in the hat, but with their struggles right now they'll be out early.