FCC DTV channel assignment and coverage maps

[Ralph Wallio, W0RPK]

See http://www.fcc.gov/dtv/markets/ for FCC maps of estimated analog-to-DTV coverage changes.  Note 
(as previously mentioned) that some analog VHF stations will permanently move to UHF channels while 
others currently on UHF-DTV will move back to their VHF assignments.  Also note other FCC DTV 
information in the left sidebar.

My analysis and a few experiments with analog-to-DTV coverage changes in our Iowa markets confirms a 
few FCC estimates and refutes a few others.  It has been very difficult to find station broadcast 
engineers who are willing to discuss their expectations (PBS/11-ABC/5-CBS/8-NBC/13 affiliates in Des 
Moines will be moving DTV back to their VHF channels).

Iowa Public Television (IPTV) has been a leader of digital conversion for several years.  See their 
extensive DTV discussion starting at http://www.iptv.org/digital/ (DTV information in Iowa 
commercial TV web sites is little more than links to FCC consumer sites).  IPTV has conducted 
numerous information meetings across Iowa and they will have phone banks answering (what they expect 
to be) an avalanche of calls 16-hours a day for several days after conversion.

TNX es 73 de Ralph Wallio, WØRPK
W0RPK at netINS.net  W0RPK at arrl.net  W0RPK at amsat.org
http://showcase.netins.net/web/wallio/
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