Wednesday, April 19, 2006

BREAKING NEWS: WKBN-TV/Youngstown Testing Digital Signal


Local digital TV watchers are abuzz with the first sign of Youngstown CBS affiliate WKBN/27's digital signal.

We're assuming that they are testing the signal right now, so it's likely go to in and out until they are finished. But even here at the OMW World Headquarters in northwest Akron, we're able to pull in WKBN-DT, with both subchannels active - 27-1 (HD/digital version of WKBN), and 27-2 (SD/digital version of WKBN's FOX 17/62, otherwise known as WYFX). This would seem to indicate to us that WKBN is operating at its fully authorized power of 700,000 watts...the most powerful digital signal in the Youngstown market.

We're not altogether sure if this antenna positioning will hold, or if atmospheric conditions will hang in there to allow us regular reception of WKBN-DT. But it's a nice alternative to WOIO/19 when needed...and much clearer than we used to get WKBN's analog signal as a teenager growing up in Cuyahoga Falls...

UPDATE: 2:18 PM 4/20/06 - The WKBN-DT signal is completely off the air...we presume it's being worked on again, and as we noted, it'll likely go on and off and on and off again until they're done working on it...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

From Tom Lavery, svrtv portion of www.pbrtv.com. That is certainly good news. I have been waiting for WKBN to test it's HD signal. I will be checking it out at my location in Cochranton, Pa. According to the FCC website, their coverage area is huge. That might possibly change with their recent temporary DS application which could make their coverage area smaller. I could still pull them in, but it might be spotty like WYTV 33.1 (36) can be at times. Now if only WSEE could get their HD service on from Erie. Feel free to drop me a line at Laveryman@hotmail.com.