If you watched, listened and read the majority of coverage on Pres. Obama pushing back the last day TV stations may broadcast an analog signal to June 12, it seemed like it was assumed all stations would abide by the new date. The original date was Feb. 17.
However in the days that followed, the FCC requested to hear from stations as to what they would do, because stations would not need to continue broadcasting in analog, even with the extension. However to do so, the FCC would still have final say for each individual station. They can mandate a station not shut down the analog signal on February 17th, if they felt the public in that market would not be adequately served.
In a Wednesday NY Times article, it was reported that nearly 500 stations would broadcast exclusively in digital on Tuesday Feb. 17th as originally scheduled. Nearly 200 are already doing so including Hawaii.
Before this issue came up, local stations, as required by law, were running crawls warning people of the original date. However, when news of the deadline extension was announced, stations updated their crawls as to whether they were going to shut down the analog signal on the original date or wait until June. When it was announced Obama was going to extend the deadline, many stories in the media made it seem as if all stations would follow the extension. Now that doesn't necessarily seem the case. In part, because continuing to broadcast two signals, (digital and analog) comes at a cost during a time when bottom lines are tight. I have read articles from around the country that say some stations spend several $1000 a day in electric and other utility costs for the transmitters in doing this. I was curious as to what would happen here, when the stations here not only have one transmitter but several to reach across the state.
On the FCC site, a complete list of all the stations in the country is listed. Looking at that list (Pages 47-48) and the four network affiliated stations in Wichita (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC), only KSNW will continue to broadcast the analog signal into June. To me its not a big deal one way or the other. Keeping the analog signal until June is I guess helping those viewers who haven't heeded the warnings, but it seems as if it does come at a financial cost. -Hal
Vote in Poll Question: So should stations abide by Pres. O'Bama's extension or turn off the analog signal on Feb. 17? Vote now in the Wichita TV News Poll.
Update 2-15-09 - 1:30 PM: The Washington Post has an interesting article this morning outlining the problems that have occurred during the digital TV transition. It touches at the very end of the article how several hundred stations are still turning off the analog signals February 17. -Hal
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8 comments:
Good job to all those stations sticking it to the new president and congress by switching over anyway. With all the publicity and warnings of the changeover, there is no reason for anyone to need this delay.
Y'all barked at me for crying wolf when the Aviation cuts first came down. And some one at one station defended not leading with the story at Ten.
Well, since then we've had a few thousand more Aviation layoffs, more disasterous Econ news, and today we find out Kansas won't pay TAX REFUNDS AND the State is having trouble meeting payroll.
Its a Code Red Alert for the local and State Econmomy. Its the biggest story in Kansas in at least 70 years. Maybe more. When will it be covered like that????Are we just waiting to go nuts over the next mid grade Tornado?
This story is greater than any weather event EVER in Kansas and directly impacts a thousand times more people.
Its just soooo much tougher to cover than pointing a camera at wind.
Random...but tornadoes kill people, the economy, no matter how bad, really doesn't. Get a grip and get a life.
Anon 243, I totally agree with you. I know it was the 5PM, but even with the Thurber death verdict, I liked how KSN lead with the Governor and the economy. Its a huge story when it was in doubt whether state workers were to be paid. Thurber getting death is big, but for that 5PM, I thought it was a good move.
Way to have KSNers defend KSN. Good job.
Now back to real journalism...This is a case that people have been talking about for 2 years. It's the biggest criminal trial here since BTK and the Carr Brothers. To not lead with it would be a irresponsible.
5:57 The Jodi Sanderholm story has been blown way out of proportion by a bunch of people who think they know news. Really,the case affects very few people outside her family and folks in her town. There never really was a question that justice would be done. But hey, hyping that story was so MUCH EASIER than reporting on the economy, which affects every single Kansan. Oh, but of course . . . you just believe in stupid tabloid sleaze. We ain't all dopes out here.
Yes the kidnapping, rape and murder of a young girl by a guy who stalked her for months, who spyed on her house, who threatened other girls isn't that big a story. The fact that there's now a tougher law on stalking because of this crime isn't a big story. The fact that other states are now adopting "Jodi's Law" means it's not that big a story.
Quit defending a dumb decision by KSN because it cannot be defended.
And BTW, there have been stories in each and every newcast for 6 months about how bad the economy is. You cannot say the same about this case which from start to finish took about 2 weeks from trial and verdict and punishment.
Here's the thing Anon 5:57
I'd suspect if it were the other way around ... with KSN leading with Sanderholm, and the other station leading with the Governor and the economy --
You'd still criticize .. calling the decision wrong.
Why? Because you operate under the principle that everything you do is right, and everything everyone else does is wrong.
My guess is that you do in fact work for 12, because your station has had that blaring web banner trumpeting your collective coverage of the case.
I really believe that deep down you lack something inside -- so in order to feel better, you resort to tearing down someone else --
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