Nevermind! Stations backpedal from their pledge to shut off analog signals early

No sooner had the electrons begun to form -- or whatever the Internet version of ink drying is -- on my Page 1 story about local broadcasters switching off their analog signals on Feb. 17 than the owners of Kansas City's broadcast TV stations started to rewrite the story.

"We're gonna wait until the 12th," said one local station person. As in June 12th, the new DTV deadline Congress had agreed on earlier in the week.

"It was a corporate decision. It was kind of a surprise." That was the refrain late this morning as I checked in with each of the city's commercial broadcasters.

By early afternoon, all the stations in town that said on Thursday they were sticking to Feb. 17 told TVB they would hold off killing their analog television until June 12.

"Thank you, Mr. Obama," said KSHB-KMCI general manager Craig Allison -- and before you get on his case, I completely agree.

"It's a PC thing," said Allison, after learning that his fellow station owners had decided to honor the new DTV deadline. "No one wants to make the new president mad." And no one wants to be the only TV station in the market jumping headlong into the digital age. So once one station decided it was going analog (and honestly, I don't know which one decided first), all the stations followed. After all, there are not one but two ratings books between now and June 12.

But make no mistake, this is political correctness at its silliest. No one wants to make enemies of the Obama Administration, so they will eat hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra costs over the next four months to keep regulators happy, even though it will likely benefit an almost statistically insignificant number of viewers.

This despite the fact that at most, AT MOST, 3.77 percent of Kansas City households are unprepared for the digital transition ... and according to broadcasters I've spoken to, that number is too alarmist because the methodology counted households that were, in point of fact, mostly ready.

"The statistics that are being put out there are inflated for a variety of reasons, one of which is that some of those homes that are 'not prepared' have gotten boxes, they just haven't hooked them up; or they have cable and satellite but some other TVs in their homes may not be hooked up to it," said Kent Cornish, executive director of the Kansas Association of Broadcasters.

Cornish confirmed that broadcasters in Topeka and Wichita were all adhering to their Feb. 17 shutoff plans, and another source told TVB that Nebraska TV stations weren't budging either. The reason, in all likelihood, is that GMs there were able to prove that even using Nielsen's most inflated figures, hardly anyone in their viewing area wasn't with the program.

Meanwhile back in KC ...

"We have made a decision to delay the transition until June 12th, assuming my old transmitter will hold up," said KMBC-KCWE GM Wayne Godsey. He laughed, then added, "We'll make sure it does."

But Godsey, who runs the only all-digital station in the market -- KCWE switched in December for technical reasons -- said he and his fellow station managers were right to assume that they would be turning their analog signals off in February. After all, they were ready, and statistics told them that almost all their viewers were, too.

"I think broadcasters throughout this whole experience did what they were asked to do, when they asked to do it. But the more that we found out about the government coupons, the program that ran out of money, even though we are ready to go on February 17th, this will allow for more consumer education, more consumer preparation, and allow the government to fix the coupon program. Hopefully!"

Ion TV's KPXE is considering keeping to its Feb. 17 deadline, but station manager Frank Barajas couldn't confirm what corporate would decide (Ion, which multicasts the Qubo kids' channel, is privately owned).

Anyway, you've got another four months to fine-tune your signals, or buy lifeline cable or an outdoor antenna. Use it wisely.

A couple of notes about today's print story: One, I didn't write the headline. I'm well aware that all stations are currently broadcasting simultaneously in analog and digital. (Change two letters -- "KC likely to turn to digital TV earlier" -- and the headline is fine.) Second, this sidebar didn't appear in the print edition, so I reproduce it here, combined with a sidebar that's running in Sunday's paper (which went to press before all of this news broke).

How to make the switch

While fewer than 4 percent of area homes are "completely unready" for DTV, many homes have a basement or bedroom TV that isn't hooked up to cable and depends on over-the-air signals.

Unless that set is DTV-ready or has a DTV converter box attached, it won't get anything after June 12, when every station in the U.S. must shut off its analog signals. stations begin shutting off their analog signals.

If you received a coupon for $40 off a converter box but let it expire before purchasing one, you may now reapply for an additional coupon. Visit www.DTV2009.gov or call 888-DTV-2009 for details.

Every over-the-air TV station in Kansas City is currently broadcasting in digital. DTV signals are transmitted differently from analog, and the methods you use to receive analog TV signals may not work for DTV. (If you have cable or satellite, don't worry.) If your converter box is properly connected but not getting all the signals, here are some tips from engineers at those stations:

Kansas City's DTV stations all broadcast on UHF except for KMBC, but it's switching to UHF soon. Rabbit ears, which improve reception for VHF signals only, are useless.

Consider buying a UHF indoor antenna to boost reception of signals. Connect the antenna either to your converter box or directly to your TV if it's DTV-ready.

In some cases, an outdoor antenna may be the only way to ensure proper reception of hard-to-get signals.

Do you need cable?

A couple of weeks ago, Time Warner Cable invited journalists to cover a vision of hell: a room with six TV sets hooked up to converter boxes, and all the pictures flickering in and out of recognition due to spotty signals.

Since then, I've heard from pretty reputable readers who say that not only can you get a perfectly good DTV signal over the air with a little tweaking, but the picture quality runs circles around the compressed, muddy-looking picture Time Warner and other cable and satellite providers offer.

"We have been viewing DTV at home for almost ten years beginning when KCPT-DT was the only area DTV station on the air," writes longtime reader Dave Pomeroy, a former manager at Topeka's KTWU, now retired. "I have found that for the most part indoor antennas (especially rabbit ears) do not work well. Using a good outdoor UHF antenna at home here in Topeka we can easily receive all of the the Kansas City DTV stations."

That's right, he's watching all the Kansas City stations from 65 miles away and pulling their signals in just fine. In fact, Pomeoroy is now receiving clear pictures from Fox 4, KCTV-5 and KSMO for the first time ever. Their analog signals were too snowy and crackly.

Comments

[Corey H.]

Well, count me among the statistically insignificant, whose local TV reception will go dark without the magic converter box. My coupon is backordered, so I'm happy for the delay. I also hope Congress passes funding for more coupons.

[Ken]

So what happens June 12th when people still are unprepared for the switch? The coupons were available for over a year before funding ran out and if people procrastinated about requesting them that is their fault. When does personal responsibility ever come into play anymore?

[LARRY]

About time some one in this paper told it like it really is. Its the same as this stimulus money, every body in Congress will hold out till the last minute then they all will vote yes on it because Obama has already done just like Bush did, threaten them by saying the sky is going to fall if they don't. The way i see it it has already fallen.

[Jim S]

I am among the rather high percentage of rural americans that will not get DTV when the change comes, because it will not be available in our county or multiple other counties in the state. This is not about cable boxes, if all we have is analog signals then the only problem is whether or not our rebroadcaster will be able to pick up the weaker DTV signals from 200 miles away to rebroadcast to us in analog. We are talking 38% of the population of the state losing signal, and most of them bought converter boxes that will not function with the continued analog signal in confusion. Add to that the number of Cable companies that may lose signals from the big stations unless they have a transmitter in a large city and bounce it to a satellite and then pick it back up locally. "Unlikely for most" well that means that all in state news could be lost on cable as well. With a massively lower viewing audience, advertising dollars will fall off for local broadcasting stations and in time will cause the failure of most major broadcastors from local stations. So there will be less TV available and virtually no local news and information. These rebroadcastors that will shortly become malfunctioning are considered low broacast power sites and run usually by the govt and were exempt from going digital, when all the people realize they have lost a major connection to local information, it will be too late. Tv stations will be treated as dinosaurs and cable companies will weaken or fold, leaving only the satellite providers, that is until a major solarstorm take out the satellites, then we will be back to clacking rocks together for amusement. This is so incredibly impossible that I fear it is the work of a diabolical conspiracy to destroy the ability of the average citizen to know timely information. Naw, conspiracies are just what is expected when everything goes horribly wrong.

[Bill]

So how many higher paying media jobs will be lost due to the extra money stations will have to spend? Great stimulus package!

[jason]

If people are not ready then you deserve to lose your tv. The govt should not have to pay for you to switch. If you want tv you buy the box then do so.
Get a new TV or something. I saw people still buying analog tvs not long ago. Why buy an analog tv when you know the switch is happening.

This has been going on for a decade and your not ready thats your own fault

[Walt]

I have been using rabbit ears on my DTV for the past 3 years and they work just fine. Time-Warner and all the other cable companies can go fly a kite, for all I'm concerned.

[JBE]

People who prattle on about "It's your own fault if you aren't ready" should know this: Some of us - in town - are not receiving the DT signal over the air even with TVs that have digital tuners. The new UHF/VHF indoor antenna that I bought with my new DTV picks up the analog signal fine, but not the digital signal. My HOA does not allow outdoor antennas. So now, I am experimenting with enhancing the indoor antenna, and I hope that works. I don't want cable or satellite and will be greatly annoyed if I am forced to pay extra for one of those services just in order to get TV broadcasts.

[Jason]

I live in Iowa and get channels from Sioux City and Sioux Falls. All Sioux City stations are switching anyway on the 17th and at least one Sioux Falls station has already switched (with I believe one other also making the switch on the 17th). Good for those stations that are switching.

[Tom]

All of you complaining about not being ready should have invested somewhere else besides putting all your time, effort and money into an internet connection, just to be able to whine, in the last 10+ years to be ready for the switch. The US is at least 2 decades behind Europe in the switch to digital, and it should have been done here long ago.

[Jon @capitalistmaven.com]

>My HOA does not allow outdoor antennas

A quick call to the FCC will fix this problem for you. You could even erect a tower on the roof IF ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY and the HOA would be powerless to stop you. HOA cannot prevent from mounting external antennas to receive regular (not DX) broadcast service.

[Mark Roberts]

You think it's confusing where you are? Imagine being in New Mexico. A good example is KOB-TV in Albuquerque:
http://kob.com/article/593/

The synopsis: the main station in Albuquerque doesn't drop analog until June 12, the station for the Four Corners switches on February 17, the station for southwest NM (Silver City) ends broadcasts altogether after June 12 because it won't be going digital, and lots of low-power repeaters around the state will remain analog after June 12 because the deadline does not affect low-power stations.