FCC acts to expedite DTV transition by modifying a number of rules on November 8, 2001. This is good news in that stations in many of the smaller markets were facing difficulty in meeting the May 2002 on air date for full power facilities. For now it will only necessary to begin DTV broadcasts with transmit facilities that cover just the city of license, not all communities and rural areas currently served by the analog NTSC channel. For many of these stations, not only is the full power digital transmitter extremely expensive to build, it may be prohibitively expensive to run. The DTV assignments are typically in the UHF band which requires as much as 10 times the power level to replicate current VHF area coverage. An additional whammy is that UHF transmitters operate with low efficiency, so that the electric costs for dual channel operations is potentially ruinously expensive considering the temporary poor market conditions and high energy prices.
Lower power requirements for this start up phase (until 2006) will help jump start the appearance of DTV signals all across America come May 2002. This period of operations will not only provide finanacial relief, but actual operating experience will help resolve technical issues such as coverage and final channel selections.
Also the FCC re-confirmed the May 2002 date as the target to get all commercial DTV operations on-air. Some hardship cases will receive waivers, but generally most of America will have DTV service available. There will not be a "blanket waiver" of construction built-out requirements. This should signal to home TV set marketers that sales projections through 2006 should remain on target, and shows that the FCC is determined to deliver DTV to the consumer. The FCC has announced a series of dates for TV sets to include digital tuners. All larger sets (36" and up) will be equipped with the tuners by July 2005.
The FCC DTV license status report 11 DTV stations officially on-air [listed in order of program test notice date given to FCC] as of October 24, 2002.
- KNBC (36) NBC (license pending)
- KCBS (60) CBS
- KABC(53) ABC
- KTTV (65) FOX (license pending)
- KTLA (31) WB
- KCAL (43)
- KCET (59) PBS
- KCOP (66) UPN
- KWHY (42)
- KRCA (68)
- KSCI (61)
9 DTV stations with granted construction permit.
- KDOC (32)
- KLCS (41)
- KVCR (26)
- KOCE (48)
- KVEA (39) NBC/Telemundo
- KADY (24)
- KPXN (38) Pax
- KAZA (54) same channel as current NTSC.
- KMEX (35) Univision
3 DTV stations with applications (construction permit pending).
- KXLA (51)
- KJLA (49)
- KHIZ (44) overlaps KXLA NTSC channel 44
2 DTV stations petitioning to change channel
- KFTR (47) to channel 29
- KTBN (23) to channel 16 (won't be granted, channel 16 is reserved for law-enforcement purposes)
PBS Affiliates counts the cost of conversion to Digital TV, as reported in this article from the January 2000 issue of Inland Empire Business Journal.
Most primetime network entertainment programs have been produced on 35mm motion picture film for years. That and regular theatrical films will make up the bulk of the initial HDTV programming, so that there will be little change from the stuff you have been seeing, although it may look and sound better. CBS will have college football in HDTV sponsored by Samsung and Sears, starting September 15, 2001. While CBS is the leader in HDTV programming, ABC has started this fall with HDTV in primetime and even NBC will air Crossing Jordan and Jay Leno/Tonight Show as HDTV.
Trying to figure out if you should buy one of those new-fangled digital TV sets??