Director's Cut Blog with Frank Macek

By Frank Macek We have gotten many phone calls and emails from those of you who live in our outlying areas of northeast Ohio wondering why you've suddenly lost WKYC using their over the air antenna. This coming after we asked you to rescan your television sets last Friday. WKYC Technical Engineers Randy Betke & Chris Rieithmiller  firing up the new transmitter in Parma on August 2nd, 2019 The good news is this is temporary. On August 2nd, WKYC made the transition to a new digital channel with a brand new transmitter as part of an FCC mandate following a spectrum auction that allowed television stations to give up their channels or move to new ones. As of Friday, the now "virtual" Channel 3 moved from digital channel 17 to digital channel 19 and this is when you would have likely lost us if you use an over the air antenna and live in an outlying area away from Cleveland. During this transition phase, we are using a side mount antenna on the main tower...

People who got digital TV converter box coupons but let them expire can now apply for new ones. The recent stimulus package put more money into the coupon program, letting the National Telecommunications and Information Administration give households with expired coupons a second chance. Each household can apply for two $40 coupons that cover most of the cost of converter boxes. While 26 million coupons have been redeemed, 17 million expired at the end of their three-month life span. The government also has cleared the wait list that built up after funding for the coupons dried up in January. That problem led Congress to delay the shutdown of analog TV broadcasts by four months, to June 12. After then, older TVs that aren't hooked up to cable or satellite feeds will need converter boxes. -- Source: The Associated Press

H.H. Gregg's Jon Gensel stopped by the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center today for an appearance on our morning show "Good Company Today" to talk with host Michael Cardamone about the transition of analog T.V to digital. He also explains the effects this change will have on the average television viewer who get their programming over the air starting on February 17, 2009.

This weekend is expected to be a big one as the nation's first local market shuts off its analog signals in a test situation that will determine how bad the February 17, 2009, shutoff will be for consumers across the country. It looks like even a storm won't delay the test. WASHINGTON (AP) -- The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission says he's unlikely to delay plans for an important test in North Carolina that could disrupt television service for some viewers in the path of Tropical Storm Hanna. The Wilmington, North Carolina, television market is taking part in a test for the national conversion to digital broadcasting. The city's four commercial network affiliates will stop broadcasting an analog signal at noon Monday. The move will leave viewers who aren't ready for the digital change unable to watch those channels. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin says since it appears the rough weather will have moved on by the time of the test, it will go ahead as planne...

Here is a story off the wires that caught my attention this afternoon. Think this should be the least of our worries. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- No big screens in the big house could lead to big trouble. The upcoming switch to digital TV is presenting a challenge to prison officials who want to make sure prison televisions are up and running. When broadcasters make the switch in February, televisions that aren't hooked up to cable, satellite or a converter box will be reduced to static. Prison officials are growing concerned about TVs possibly not working. That's because prisoners don't qualify for $40 coupons that can be redeemed for the converter boxes needed to display the digital signal. While TV might seem like an undeserved luxury for inmates, both prison officials and prisoners say the tube provides a sense of normalcy. It's also used as a bargaining chip that encourages good behavior. Courtesy: The Associated Press

Ohio television stations hope to make it hard for viewers to escape the message that the switch to digital broadcasting is coming. More than 40 Ohio TV stations say they'll run public service announcements about the transition at the same time: 7:58 p.m. Wednesday (tonight). On Feb. 17, 2009, major U.S. TV stations will stop broadcasting their traditional analog signals and go all-digital, which means a much sharper picture and better sound. But viewers who use an antenna will need a newer TV or a converter box to receive the digital signals. This is the kind of information explained in the public service announcements. TV station general managers are meeting at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday to discuss the digital changeover with lawmakers.

Nielsen, the tv ratings firm, has announced that the February sweeps period in 2009 will move from February to March next year. With the move from analog to all digital TV on February 17, 2009, Nielsen feels that keeping sweeps during the same month might be an inaccurate assessment of a local station's performance. Also, Nielsen will begin to test ratings collections on digital-only stations this December. To read more from Broadcasting and Cable: CLICK HERE

On Tuesday, April 29th, DTV specialist Jon Gensel stopped by the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center to discuss a little about television's transition to all digital broadcasting by February 17, 2009, on Good Company Today , our weekday morning show at 10 a.m. If you are still a little uncertain about what to expect, please take a moment and watch the interview to learn more. We also have a complete section here on the blog about DTV: CLICK HERE VIDEO FEATURE: *To watch Jon discuss DTV: CLICK HERE

WKYC will present a special presentation this Saturday at 1 PM called "Countdown to DTV, Are You Ready?" We'll show you how to stay connected and enjoy the benefits of your new, all digital and high definition television sets. This informative half hour program will take a look at everything you need to know from the important transition date, to what you need to do to get your analog to digital tv converter coupons and more... That's this Saturday at 1 pm on WKYC-TV. And don't forget, we have a whole digital TV section both here on the blog and on wkyc.com

More than 50 percent of U.S. households now own a digital television (DTV), according to new research released Friday by the Consumer Electronics Association. As the nation transitions to all digital television by February 17, 2009, consumers are adding DTV to their homes at a record pace. "I am proud to announce our nation has hit this digital milestone. With 50 percent of U.S. homes able to experience the reality of digital television, we have crossed a critical threshold," said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA. "2008 will continue to demonstrate the growth and success of DTV, with nearly 32 million units forecasted to ship. Consumers are particularly keen to add HDTV to their homes, with high definition expected to account for 79 percent of total DTV shipments in the U.S in 2008." According to new CEA sales projections, manufacturers will post 11 percent revenue growth, to over $25 billion, from sales of digital televisions in 2007. CEA also forecasts 13 pe...

The switchover from analog to digital television is set for just over a year now - February 17, 2009. It's an important date for many reasons...history is being made, analog signals go dark, and many "over the air" viewers will be scratching their heads. Are you ready? Most people aren't...and throughout 2008, the "Director's Cut" Blog and WKYC.com will be helping our readers get prepared and well ahead of the curve. One of the better websites available to answer many of your questions is called DTV Answers . I urge you to take a look and get acquainted with the process and what the switchover will mean to you.