Arkansas Blog

You can still get AETN? Lucky you. Down here in Argenta, those of use who still rely on the ol' rabbit ears (which I suspect means just me) haven't had our public TV fix since the tower fell in Redfield. I'm on tenterhooks until they get the digital signal going. I got the digital translator box thingamabob, and I have to say, all the other channels look a whole lot better now. Shame there's virtually nothing to watch on broadcast.

Hurry up, AETN!

From the first time I heard this as a lowly producer at a small town affiliate TV station in the mid-90s, I figured something like this would happen. It surprises me not.

However, I do wonder if this push to DTV transition over the years has sped up the process of creating a two-level system of haves and have-nots, that is pushing those who have the money (or the expertise) to become on-demand viewers through cable, satellite, and the Internet -- and leaving the lower-income, less tech-influenced crowd to the dregs of broadcasting, dependant on conversion boxes to watch an ever-diminishing selection of viewing and information possibilities (second DTV information and entertainment channel options notwithstanding).

I suppose the government can just take a page out of their metric conversion handbook for guidelines.

From today's "In the news" column:

Paula Kerger, president and CEO of the Public Broadcasting System, said she's "very disheartened to hear that with a month before the [conversion] deadline, the federal government has run out of money to help citizens purchase digital converter boxes" for their televisions, and she called for immediate federal action.

This message is for our friends at Arkansas Times and readers from AETN: the messages note that we will have to go down on or about January 2nd. The reason we said it this was way was by order of the FCC since we cannot predict exactly what day the tower crews will arrive, weather conditons, etc. Best (or worse) case scenario is that the crews may be here sometime next week.

As to the possibility of delay for the transition, this will cause nothing but problems for broacast stations that have patched up analog transmitters only long enough to reach the switch-off date. For AETN, since we are moving to channel assignments currently held on analog by other stations unti the actual switch, it could mean even further delay.

Our work, by the way, should not affect Conway cable, Little Rock cable and several other cable networks in central Arkansas and, from what we understand at this point, Dish Network subscribers.

It is a wonderful thing, this digital, in the long run...but it is an adventure. Funding is always an interesting issue and just remember that the pledge drives we all love are for the purpose of raising funds for program purchases and production, not hardware. That has been our compact with all our friends throughout the state for decades.

Done preaching. Thanks.

Kat,
I wouldn't be lamenting broadcast views yet.

If you cannot affort a $300 digital tv, small one, then you will hurt. I noticed at Walmart yesterday they still have some hundred dollar CRT tvs which process digital signals. You know, the flat screen things, circa 2000.

In these Ozark highlands a simple antenna will bring you all 3 major networks and AETN, plus Oklahoma ETV in many areas. Other areas get AETN and Missouri ETV. That is if you have a small, DTV and a simple antenna.

.

Fan of logic

"Funding is always an interesting issue and just remember that the pledge drives we all love are for the purpose of raising funds for program purchases and production, not hardware."

You know if all you ETV stations from sea to shining sea would actually support no media bias programming it would help.

Recall the hundreds of million$ Republicans have cut from PBS budget during their now ending reign. It was so funny to tune in and watch a gospel hour on AETN knowing all along that gospel people kept Cheney and the Pimp in office while the latter were busy diminishing your budget. Irony so sweet.

.

In my area many of those without satellite dishes will be in the dark, with no warning for bad weather or anything else, because those converter boxes don't do a thing to help with getting a digital signal. We get NOTHING here in our valley, with a converter box or a brand new LCD TV that searched vainly for a digital signal, while with the analog we got two stations pretty well, with 3 more fairly well. At least we could watch the local news.

If we ever have to give up our dish, we will be without ANY tv at all, for the first time since they started broadcasting. Wonder how many others in our area are going to be in the same boat? Pay up for a dish, or do without. You would think that the TV stations would be very unhappy about that, what with ad revenue being lost because people won't be able to be propagandized to buy stuff.

I even complained to the FCC (is that the government entity supervising this, or do I have the letters wrong?) about it, filling out their online form. I also gave an interview with a reporter from Bloomberg about it. Sounds like so far there is no action on people not getting the signal with the converter boxes. Another haves vs. have-nots issue.

I just don't want to hear the ads anymore. If people don't know it by now, they will figure it out shortly after their TV signal goes blank. We have been hearing this ads for two years now!

For those needing some "on the ground info" on the transition, there is a thead over on AVS Forum for Local HDTV And Reception. Scroll down to Little Rock (market 56), Fort Smith (market 100), or whichever one is the "local" for your area.

The RF channels are changing for DTV post transition...here is a list of them for Little Rock

KETS 2 to channel 7 VHF (remaps as 2-n) on Feb 18{---currently KETS-DT on VHF ch 5}
KARK 4 to channel 32 UHF (4-n)
KATV 7 to channel 22 UHF (7-n)
KTHV 11 to channel 12 VHF (11-n)
KLRT 16 to channel 30 UHF (16-n)
KVTN 25 to channel 24 UHF (25-n)
KKAP 36 to flash cut on same channel 36 on transition day (36-n)
KASN 38 to channel 39 UHF (38-n)

All the above stations except for KATV and KKAP are CURRENTLY transmitting a DTV signal. KATV was prior to its tower falling one year ago. KATV programming is currently being relayed DTV via KWBF-DT on its currently weak signal.
KWBF 42 to channel 44 UHF (42-n)