KOCO’s crawl predicts loss of signal
While watching my recording of ABC’s This Week…, I noticed that KOCO’s crawl about the DTV transition mentioned parts of several counties that may lose its signal when its analog signal is terminated at 9 a.m. on June 12, 2009: southern Garvin, northern Stephens, southwestern Grady, northeastern Comanche, southwestern Caddo, northeastern Washita and eastern Custer.
This loss of signal is attributed to a change in the radius of KOCO’s coverage area. Those counties are not mentioned on KOCO’s Countdown to Digital Television, but it is suggested that viewers in those areas might receive ABC programming from KSWO-DT in Lawton. For reception issues, KOCO recommends calling them visiting www.dtv.gov/maps.
On a related note, I am now getting a pretty strong and stable signal from KOCO-DT in Stillwater. I was able to add it to my Mac-based EyeTV 500 tuner yesterday and there were no breakups of my recording this morning. The signal was not as good on my Dish 211K receiver last night during the NBA playoff game, but I wasn’t able to lock in a signal at all on my EyeTV for weeks so this is a good sign.
Hearst-Argyle’s attitude is if you don’t live in the immediate Oklahoma City metro area and want to receive their signal, then you must subscribe to DirecTV or Dish Network. They make money from this method. Several years ago they had their signal removed from all translators. They don’t make money from translators. At our cable system in Dewey County we can only receive their DTV signal about 60% of the time with off-air antennas, and despite repeated attempts, no one from KOCO or Hearst-Argyle will reply to emails or return phone calls regarding technical issues with reception of their signal. The only contact we have ever had with them is the retransmission consent contracts that require us to pay $.50-60 per month per subscriber for their signal.
The crawl said to call them and gave the number, but I agree they’ve never really shown much enthusiasm for putting out a decent signal. I think the same can be said of KWTV because if they had really cared, they would have left their stations in the UHF band where the signal was strong and stable. OETA probably just went along with the switch to VHF because they use the same tower.
I have Dish Network, but I wouldn’t pay them a dime for local channels. If it ever reaches a point where I have to pay for the local channels, I’ll just vote with my wallet and eyeballs and stop watching. Right now, the local stations are fewer than 10 percent of all the HD channels I receive and probably not even that percentage of what I actually watch.
Mostly I use my iPhone for tracking the weather and as Matt has pointed out elsewhere there should be a better way to providing that essential service when the storms are outside of the local stations’ viewing areas.
ggore,
Can you carry ch 7 (ABC) Denver since you’re not in Grade A KOCO-DT service pattern?
Ch 7 Denver has been on satellite for years. Many remote western U. S. cable systems carry them.
I know in the past it was a no no, but this digital world is different in some ways.
I don’t know about Denver, we’ve never looked into it. Right now we use a commercial Dish Network receiver for the analog/SD KOCO signal. That doesn’t help the HD situation, as KOCO has no plans at present to do anything to upgrade the range of their DT signal
KOCO-DT is the only local channel that does not appear with the indoor UHF bowtie in downtown OKC. KWTV, OETA and all UHF stations are appearing fine, especially if the bowtie is placed vertically behind the set. In another room, large “V” shaped rabbit ears are working above the TV for all stations except KOCO-DT. The only way I can get KOCO is with a large outdoor 7-13 VHF YAGI antenna mounted in a unique outdoor location OR by placing the large “V” shape rabbit ears at a horizontal angle with both tips pointing east while seeing the tower in a second story window!!!
Perhaps the public should request that KOCO lose it’s license at renewal time. Maybe that will help ABC from being cheap and send the money to the local channel to upgrade the equipment for the ABC network in downtown OKC.
It should be mandatory that stations provide a quality OTA signal throughout the viewing area that the federal government has licensed them to cover!
When June 12th rolls around, I hope that all antenna viewers that cannot get the ABC network through KOCO-DT will call local newscasts, all government officials both local and federal, and send an comment to The White House.
mzokc, I highly doubt that’ll help. All H-A sees are these – $$$
I also have problems with KOCO in downtown OKC (23rd and Classen). I’ve complained to them and the FCC. They are supposed to be upgrading their antenna and output strength – but not for approximately 1 year.
At least we are in re-run season and I can get “LOST” on the internet next year.
KOKH now needs to with the program! Garbage maps with SD now because they turn off the analog channel. Get with program KOKH 2-3 Hours of HD and no HD!!!!!!!!! Tonight cops no HD with garbage maps because it was raining SW corner of okla.