Yes, we were a bit harsh in yesterday's item, explaining the "lack of power" out of Local TV Fox affiliate WJW/8's new digital transmitter...which was believed to be running at 30 kW, but is actually only putting out 11 kW, based on our research of FCC filings.Read more at our Ohio Digital TV blog... … [Read more...]
ODTV: WJW Power Mystery Solved?
Posted on June 16, 2009 · Leave a Comment
(This is a full reprint of an item posted on our Ohio Digital TV blog.)The biggest post-DTV transition story in Northeast Ohio is the surprisingly anemic performance of WJW/8 "Fox 8"'s new signal on VHF channel 8, its old analog channel.As it turns out, the signal may be less powerful than pretty much everyone thought, including us, and WJW's digital channel 8 appears to be operating not at the approved post-transition power level of 30 kW, but at 11 kW instead.Yes, you read that right.It took … [Read more...]
ODTV: ODTV Followup Monday
Posted on June 15, 2009 · Leave a Comment
We're sorting out what's left after Friday's end of full-power analog TV service, and even correcting ourselves once or twice...Read more at our Ohio Digital TV blog, including VIDEO of a local station's DTV switch... … [Read more...]
Monday’s Very Mixed Bag
Posted on June 15, 2009 · Leave a Comment
We've been hanging onto some items for a while, since we were swept up in the Digital TV Conversion wave starting on Friday. (We do still have some ODTV follow up items, which we'll put on that blog later today.)AN SDV UPDATE: Though nearly all of the Time Warner Cable Northeast Ohio monolith is now "Switched Digital Video" (SDV) capable, there are small pockets that have not yet taken the new technology.OMW hears that will change, soon, with the SDV rollout "scheduled to be completed" by this … [Read more...]
Metro Heads North, Well, Sort Of
Posted on June 15, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Last year, Westwood One announced that it was shuttering about 50 of Metro Networks nationwide offices and bureaus, including its Cleveland office.The idea, according to the company, was to better utilize technology to gather information about area traffic (as well as sports and news)...and the result, we were told, is that markets like Cleveland would still receive reports - just from people based in Detroit. The same scenario would play out in the other 12 remaining market … [Read more...]
ODTV: Cleveland Digital TV Transition Awards
Posted on June 13, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Welcome, to our first Cleveland Digital TV Transition Awards!Here are our own "winners and losers" from the day analog, full-power TV went away in Ohio's largest TV market, and our primary coverage area:MOST IMPROVED: A tie between two occupants of that new antenna tower on Broadview Road in Parma, WKYC-DT (RF 17) and WVIZ-DT (RF 26).You could make a case for either to be the ultimate winner, but it's basically a tie due to their cooperative work and co-location.With the new facility replacing … [Read more...]
ODTV: Almost Done
Posted on June 12, 2009 · Leave a Comment
At this writing, the end of full-power analog TV in Northeast Ohio is nearly complete.Only the analog signals of WKYC/3 (NBC), WVIZ/25 (PBS), WNEO/49 (PBS) and WQHS/61 (Univision) remain, and the last three will be gone before midnight tonight. WKYC's "nightlight" DTV information loop will continue through June 26th...the station having taken all entertainment and news programming off of analog 3 at 10 AM.Over in the Mahoning Valley, only the analog signal of WFMJ/21 (NBC) is still on the air … [Read more...]
Ashland AM To Get Talking
Posted on June 12, 2009 · Leave a Comment
We actually have had this one for a while, but figured we'd put it up when it appeared on the AllAccess Net News scroll. (The fine folks at AllAccess don't have the digital TV transition in their workload, after all. Heh.)Yes, Clear Channel standards/soft AC WNCO/1340 Ashland is changing to a talk format, featuring a lineup that does not duplicate sister news/talk WMAN/1400 Mansfield.While WMAN carries shows like Premiere's Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Coast to Coast AM, "Mid-Ohio's Talk … [Read more...]
ODTV: Cleveland Switch: First Impression
Posted on June 12, 2009 · Leave a Comment
The first wave of analog shutoffs in the Cleveland/Akron TV market happened, as planned, at 10 AM this morning.And here at the OMW World Headquarters somewhere in western or northern Summit County, it's mostly good. Mostly.Analog signals for the following stations are no longer broadcasting: WEWS/5 (ABC), WJW/8 (Fox), WOIO/19 (CBS), WVPX/23 (ION), WUAB/43 (MyNetwork TV) and WBNX/55 (CW).WKYC/3 analog (NBC) is airing the expected DTV information-only "nightlight" video loop, with video and text … [Read more...]
No, Dick Goddard Isn’t Retiring
Posted on June 12, 2009 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 10:52 AM 6/12/09: A Friend of OMW tells us that the Plain Dealer's Julie Washington is "still in the building", just not this week...she's on vacation...--------In a normal OMW news cycle, putting the words "Dick Goddard" and "retirement" in the same sentence would warrant four-star ALL CAPS BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS! alerts.Even if that retirement isn't happening.But since we have been pre-occupied with the digital television transition the past few days, and since we haven't … [Read more...]
