Re: US Senate passes bill to delay digital TV switch

Alan F wrote:
G-squared wrote:
On Jan 27, 6:51 pm, nmasse...@xxxxxxxxx (Neill Massello) wrote:
> G-squared <stratu...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > I think it would be safe to call it 30-50 kW power input per
hour, 24/7.
>
> (115 days is the extension period of 17 February to 12 June)
>
> That's actually not as bad as I thought it would be. Of course,
there
> are other costs involved in operating a transmitter. I'm guessing
that
> stations that broadcast from the top of the tallest building in
town
> must pay rent based (in part) on how much space their transmitters
> occupy.

Keep in mind that was for a low band VHF station. UHF culd easily
multiply that by 5-10 times. ALSO, in the LA area where we live,
residential power gets to 25 cents a KWh.

G²

The figures that were mentioned by station engineers on avsforum for
the typical monthly operating cost for a analog UHF full power broadcast
were in the $15K to $20K ballpark range to run the transmitter.
Presumably there are costs on top of that for the transmitter building,
tower lease, and so on. A number of PBS stations are among those that
have filed to shut down on February 17 regardless because they state
that they did not budget for another 4 months of keeping the analog
broadcast going.

For example, Oregon PBS wrote this in their filing for KOPB PBS 10 in
Portland to the FCC:

"THE LICENSEE PLANS TO SUSPEND ANALOG OPERATIONS ON FEBRUARY 17, 2009,
EVEN IF THE TRANSITION DEADLINE IS EXTENDED. THE SUSPENSION ON THAT DATE
HAS BEEN CAREFULLY PLANNED TO COMPLY WITH CURRENT LEGISLATIVE
REQUIREMENTS. IT WILL AVOID VIEWER CONFUSION THAT WOULD ARISE IN LIGHT
OF THE LICENSEE'S EXTENSIVE AND EFFECTIVE DTV EDUCATION EFFORTS TO DATE,
ASSURE A SMOOTH TECHNICAL TRANSITION TO DIGITAL-ONLY SERVICE, AND AVOID
A FINANCIAL CRISIS IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT NO FUNDS HAVE BEEN BUDGETED
FOR ANALOG OPERATION AFTER FEBRUARY 17, 2009."

See
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101291635&formid=910&fac_num=50589.


Alan F






There you have it folks, additional costs incurred by stations delaying their analog sunset are not budgeted, ergo unfunded. Bean counters don't like that.

--
jer
email reply - I am not a 'ten'

.

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