Tracking Connecticut television's transition from analog to digital

 
WUVN (Univision/Hartford) was granted another construction extension. Their new deadline is May 1, 2003.
posted by Michael Dreimiller at 6:44 PM

 
If you live in Connecticut near the Massachusetts or Rhode Island borders you'll want to check out this message from the AVS Forum posted by jhe which lists the status of all the stations within 70 miles of Massachusetts:

• Massachusetts Area DTV Stations Status
  

posted by Michael Dreimiller at 10:31 PM

 
I did some more hunting on the FCC site and I found the documents relating to the denial of WTXX's extension request (thanks to jhe on the AVS Forum for pointing me in the right direction).

The FCC wrote (PDF file/4.8MB - page 154):

In response to our request, you submitted an amendment dated April 29, 2002 stating that WTXX would renew its request to its tower owner, CSM, to pursue the necessary paperwork to secure the local approvals to strengthen its existing tower to accommodate WTXX’s DTV facility. You go on to state that you will encourage CSM to pursue its application vigorously and to provide an updated estimate of the cost of tower strengthening within 60 days of the date of your amendment. You also indicate that WTXX was recently approached by the owner of a new tower that is located on Avon Mountain, approximately 9 miles from the CSM tower, but that these negotiations are preliminary. Based on your submission, we find that you have not taken all reasonable steps to complete construction of WTXX-DT in an expeditious manner. You do not indicate what alternatives you have explored should CSM be unable to strengthen its tower and the Avon Mountain tower site be deemed unsuitable. You amendment also seems to indicate that no studies have been done to determine whether the Avon Mountain site could provide adequate coverage. Furthermore, you do not supply any projected construction completion date. Thus, your showing contains no reasonable plan or projected date by which any DTV facility might be constructed and placed into operation.

For these reasons, we conclude that an extension of the construction permit in this case is not justified and must be denied, with the permittee admonished for its failure to comply with its DTV construction obligations. We believe, however, that WTXX should be afforded until December 1, 2002, to come into compliance with the DTV construction rule. In this regard, WTXX will be required to submit a report within thirty (30) days of this letter outlining the steps it intends to take to complete construction and the approximate date that it expects to reach each of these construction milestones. Absent extraordinary and compelling circumstances, the construction completion date should be no later than December 1, 2002. Sixty (60) days after submitting its initial report, the station will be required to submit a report detailing its progress on meeting its proposed construction milestones and justifying any delays it has encountered. If at any time during this period, the station fails to demonstrate that it is taking all reasonable steps to complete construction or fails to justify the further delays it has encountered, or we otherwise find that the permittee has acted in bad faith, the permittee will be subject to the imposition of additional sanctions. Failure to complete construction of its DTV facilities by December 1, 2002, will result in a monetary forfeiture against WTXX, and the initiation of a six-month process, at the end of which, if the DTV facilities still have not been constructed, absent good cause shown, the subject DTV construction permit will be rescinded.

In light of the above discussion, IT IS ORDERED That WTXX, Inc. IS HEREBY ADMONISHED for its failure to comply with its DTV construction obligations. Moreover, IT IS FURTHER ORDERED That WTXX’s request to extend the construction permit for WTXX-DT IS DENIED, and the applicant is afforded until December 1, 2002 in which to come into compliance with the DTV construction rules as set forth herein.

I also found the letter from the FCC dated April 2002 requesting more info from WTXX prior to denying their extension request in this document DTV Extension Inquiry Letters (PDF/3.4MB - page 505).
posted by Michael Dreimiller at 9:39 PM

 
WUVN (Univision/Hartford) filed another construction extension request on August 30, 2002 requesting an additional 6 month extension.

WUVN wrote (PDF file):

Applicant is committed to commencing DTV operations at the earliest possible time. In so doing, Applicant will be operating the Station on a low-power basis pursuant to the provisions dealing with special temporary authority for DTV stations announced in Memorandum Opinion and Order on Reconsideration in MM Docket No. 00-39, released November 15, 2001. Therein, the Commission granted licensees with DTV construction permits the authority to seek digital STAs so long as the DTV facility would comply with minimum initial build-out requirements and are fully subsumed by the permitted facilities.

In seeking to commence operations under the terms of the Commission’s modified requirements, Applicant has entered into formal and binding purchase agreements with broadcast equipment suppliers for the necessary antennas, transmitters, line, and related equipment for the Station. However, the need of broadcast licensees to meet the Commission’s DTV deadlines has overwhelmed many of Applicant’s suppliers, and Applicant has experienced delay in the delivery of certain components necessary to construct the Station. Likewise, Applicant has experienced scheduling problems with tower erectors and installers who have been engaged to undertake installation projects. As a result of the difficulties Applicant has encountered with delivery schedules and installer availability, construction of the Station has been delayed. It is now estimated by Applicant that all necessary equipment will be delivered by October 2002, with installation and testing to take place thereafter. Accordingly, Applicant requests a further six- month extension of time to complete its DTV facilities.

posted by Michael Dreimiller at 6:54 PM

 
WVIT filed another construction extension request with the FCC late last month. They requested an extension until May 2003.

WVIT wrote (PDF file):

Outlet continues to work diligently to resolve issues that have precluded construction. Outlet has received all the equipment necessary to construct WVIT-DT, with the exception of the facility’s digital antenna. Outlet also has vigorously defended its receipt of local zoning and building approval from a challenge filed by a neighboring land owner that seeks to overturn that approval. As part of Outlet’s continuing efforts to resolve all remaining obstacles to the construction of WVIT-DT’s facility, Outlet has entered into settlement negotiations with the neighboring land owner. The proposed settlement, when reached, will enable Outlet to finalize its order for the facility’s digital antenna and complete construction of WVIT-DT’s facility. Barring further unforeseen circumstances, Outlet expects to commence operation of the WVIT-DT facility by May 2003. Accordingly, Outlet hereby requests an extension of the permit in order to enable the further construction and completion of WVIT-DT’s facility.

posted by Michael Dreimiller at 9:25 AM

 
I tried to pick up WEDN Wednesday morning with no luck. First, at around 8:30am I had my Mitsubishi SR-HD5 DirecTV HDTV receiver re-scan for local channels and it didn't find WEDN-DT/45. Then I went to the signal level indicator on my receiver and it showed channel 45 at 100. I tried re-scanning again at about 11:45am and my receiver still couldn't find WEDN-DT/45 but the signal level still indicated 100. I left my receiver on the signal level display and saw it drop to 58 for a while and then to 0 just before noon, but I didn't watch the signal strength for very long.

I did another scan at 12:25pm yesterday (Thursday) but my receiver again was unable to locate 45-2 through 42-5. I left my receiver set on the Signal Strength display for Ch. 45 and behaved very oddly.The strength bounced all around from 0 to 100 and lots of places in between and it was only able to lock on to the signal every once in a while. I watched it for about 20 minutes and the signal locked for at most 5 seconds at a time, except for one time when it lasted about 10 seconds. When it did lock on to it the signal strength was 100.

For comparison, WTNH (digital Ch. 10) was at 58, with a occasional spike at 72, but that signal is far more stable than what I was seeing for Ch. 45.

I'm less than 10 miles away from the WEDN transmitter so I wouldn't expect to have any reception problems and WEDN says they are testing at full power so I have no idea as to what my problem might be.

On a related subject, here is a map that shows estimated coverage areas for the 4 CPTV stations based on info included in their original applications for digital channels.
posted by Michael Dreimiller at 4:48 PM

 
The Norwich CPTV station (WEDN Ch. 53) started testing their multicast channels (45-2 through 45-5) last Friday and they tested again today. Their next test is expected to be this Wednesday 6:00am through noon. They aren't testing their HDTV channel (45-1) yet either, though.

CPTV expects to do a test of PBS HD on the "-1" channels in the near future.

Here's a link to a message posted by someone from CPTV about the WEDN testing:

• "WEDN-DTV/45 Norwich, CT"
  

posted by Michael Dreimiller at 4:23 PM

 
WEDW continues to test their digital signal during weekday hours on Ch. 52. They've been on the air today since 10:00am this morning.

Here's yet another thread concerning WEDW:

• "hurry up, WEDW-DT is on the air"
  

Sure wish they'd keep using the same thread.
posted by Michael Dreimiller at 10:10 AM

 
WEDW Ch.49 (Bridgeport, CT PBS) reportedly had a test signal on the air in the early afternoon on Monday (Sept. 16). Their digital channel allocation is Ch. 52.
posted by Michael Dreimiller at 1:06 PM

 
This thread WB HD Schedule on the AVS Forum quotes Tribune Broadcasting (the owner of WTIC and WTXX) with this info:

• WTXX's digital signal is scheduled to be on the air by Nov. 2002.
  
• WTIC's digital signal is schedule to be on the air by June 2003.
  

Also, CPTV has a note on their web site that states they are in the process of upgrading the equipment for WEDW Channel 49 to allow transmission of a digital signal and they hope to have the full digital conversion for the Bridgeport area completed by September. Here's a map of the CPTV coverage areas.

Here are a couple more threads from the AVS Forums to check out:

• Providence/northern Rhode Island OTA reception
  
• WEDW Ch. 49 (Bridgeport CT PBS) by end of September
  
• WTNH - Off the air???
  

posted by Michael Dreimiller at 10:09 AM

 
Current topics on the AVS Forums web site that are worth checking out:

• Connecticut/RI - WHPX-DT 34??
  
• OTA in North Haven, CT?
  
• Who's watching WTNH-DT?
  

posted by Michael Dreimiller at 11:08 PM

 
This is the first post to this site. I am going to use this site to track the progress of the TV stations in Connecticut in getting a digital signal on the air. Only WTNH (ABC) and WFSB (CBS) met the May 1, 2002 deadline and WHPX (PAX) went on the air shortly thereafter. However, both WFSB and WHPX are both broadcasting at very low power and WHPX is only on the air during primetime.

The other commercial CT stations all applied for 6 month waivers. That gives them until November 1, 2002 to get their act together. The main cause of the delay for most of them was the inability to get local zoning approval for the construction of a new TV tower on Rattlesnake Mountain in Farmington, CT. Currently there are two towers on the mountain, one owned by CSM (used by WTIC) and another owned and used by WVIT. Neither of them can handle the additional digital antennas. The new tower was to have been used by WTIC, WTXX, WEDN (Hartford's CPTV station) and possibly by WVIT.

PBS stations have until May 1, 2003 and CPTV expects all of it's stations to meet that deadline.

Here's a summary of where each station is at:

WTHN - Ch. 8 analog / Ch. 10 digital (ABC)

On the air December 4, 1998.

Their signal was causing significant interferance problems for WJAR in RI, whose analog signal is on Ch. 10. They temorarily reduced their broadcasting power by 85% until the local cable companies could improve their shielding. They were back up to full power in early 2001. However, some people (including myself) report currently having problems with WTNH's digital signal despite high signal strength. Some suspect interferance from WJAR may be causing the frequent breakups of WTNH's signal that they are experiencing, while others believe it's just a case of signal multipath problems.

They have 3 digital channels. Their main channel carries upcoverted material and the HDTV content (720p) that ABC provides. I believe they stretch their 4:3 image to 14:9 and then crop the top and bottom a bit to fill the 16:9 area for that channel. They have a weather channel which shows a live Doppler radar image along with the Nation Weather Service automated forecast audio. They also have a sports info channel which has a scrolling ticker at the bottom with scores and news.

They have a request to increase power that, if granted, may take place sometime this fall.

WFSB Ch. 3 analog / Ch. 33 digital (CBS)

On the air May 1, 2000. HDTV on Dec. 29, 2000.

Broadcasting at low power from their old tower. Problems getting a new tower built are supposedly causing the delay in going to full power. They have one digital channel carrying upconverted content and the HDTV content (1080i) provided by CBS.

WHPX Ch. 26 analog / Ch. 34 digital (PAX)

On the air May 6, 2002.

At low power during prime time only. Off the air the rest of the day. One digital channel, upconverted content only so far.

WVIT Ch. 30 analog / Ch. 35 digital (NBC)

Applied for a waiver (current status "Accepted for filing").

Tower zoning problems prevented them from building a new tower. Currently awaiting a building permit to allow them to modify their exisiting tower in a way that doesn't required a waiver of local zoning restrictions. All equipment for it's digital facilites, except for the antenna, has been ordered.

WTIC Ch. 61 analog / Ch. 5 (Fox)

Status unknown.

I don't see a waiver request in the FCC database for them. They requested a change in their digital channel allocation from 5 to 31 on Oct. 20, 2000 but it doesn't appear to have been approved yet.

WTXX Ch. 20 analog / Ch. 12 digital (WB)

Applied for a waiver (current status "Accepted for filing").

WCTX Ch. 59 analog / Ch. 39 digital (UPN)

Granted a waiver.

Not much info available with the waiver form. Just states that the delay is due to litigation.

WUVN Ch. 18 analog / Ch. 46 digital (Univision)

Granted a waiver.

Plans to broadcast at low power to meet the minimum FCC requirements but is running into delays from equipment suppliers and scheduling delays from tower errectors and installers.

WSAH Ch. 43 analog / Ch. 42 digital (Shop at Home)

Applied for a waiver and the request was dismissed.

It appears that their initial construction permit request was never approved by the FCC so they couldn't start building a tower or buying equipment. The dismissal probably means they didn't need a waiver since they never got approval in the first place.

CPTV (PBS)

Appear to be on schedule to meet May 1, 2003 deadline.

WEDH (Ch. 24 analog / Ch. 32 digital) Hartford
WEDN (Ch. 53 analog / Ch. 45 digital) Norwich
WEDW (Ch. 49 analog / Ch. 52 digital) Stamford
WEDY (Ch. 65 analog / Ch. 6 digital) New Haven

WEDH is having the same tower problems as WFSB, WVIT, and WTIC. The other 3 stations appear to be on track to meet the May 1, 2003 deadline. There was a good article in the Hartford Courant about CPTV's progress back in May, 2001 but the article is not online anymore (it is in their paid archives, though). The article made it sound like they would be on the air soon but subsequent inquiries have yet to produce a firm target date.

posted by Michael Dreimiller at 10:54 PM