How much $$ will TV stations save when they turn off the analogtransmitters in Feb ?

[Dan.Strassberg]

There has to be a reason why so few low-band VHFs will be staying on
low-band VHF channels after Feb '09. Based on what appears to be
extremely low sensitivity on the low-band V channels of my Panasonic
DTV receiver (date of manufacture 4/08), the problem may lie in the
receivers or with the low permitted maximum power for DTV
transmissions on Channels 2 through 6. There are no DTV signals on
low-band V channels that I can check out, but based on the snow on the
analog signals on 2, 4, and 5 vs the pretty good analog reception on 7
and the very good analog reception on 25, 38, 44, and 56 as well as
the normally good DTV reception on "nominal" channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 25,
38, 44, 56, 62, 66, and 68 using a passive indoor rabbit-ears/loop
antenna, my guess is that if I needed to receive a low-band V DTV
signal on this receiver, I'd at least have to purchase an antenna
amplifier or an amplified antenna. I am located in Arlington Heights
maybe 1/2 mile north of Route 2 Exit 57, which is also maybe 1/2 mile
west of the top of Belmont hill. The TV is in a first-floor room.

-----
Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net)
eFax 1-707-215-6367

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Garrett Wollman" <wollman@bimajority.org>
To: "Ken VanTassell" <kenwvt@gmail.com>
Cc: "B-R-I" <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2008 9:57 PM
Subject: How much $$ will TV stations save when they turn off the
analog transmitters in Feb ?


> <<On Sun, 7 Sep 2008 18:29:56 -0400, "Ken VanTassell"
> <kenwvt@gmail.com> said:
>
>> Just curious, does anyone know what the average monthly electric
>> bill
>> is for a TV station in Boston ? How much will they save when they
>> turn
>> off the analog transmitter ?
>
> The best case is the opposite, an out-of-core UHF station moving to
> the VHF-low band.  VHF-low digital ERPs are just a few kilowatts,
> and
> the conversion efficiency of solid-state transmitters is excellent;
> such stations could opt for a different rate plan entirely, perhaps
> even dropping demand metering if the utility's tariff allows it.
>
> -GAWollman