Beginning on January 1st of 2007, KECY (9) will start broadcasting ABC programming to DTV equipped televisions on digital sub channel 9.2, calling itself ABC 5. This follows KSWT’s (13) move to programming on digital sub channel 13.2 of the CW network. Time Warner subscribers will find these programs on channels 5 and 6 respectively. Satellite subscribers will find themselves blacked out from ABC and CW programming along with CBS, NBC, and FOX due to FCC restrictions against carrying programming available over the air in local markets.
Yuma broadcasters are taking full advantage of the FCC mandates to upgrade to digital television transmitters by cornering the market on broadcast networks that were previously not available in the Yuma area. What this means to viewers and advertisers is that we will have more local programming available, without the benefit of the competition that usually accompanies such expansion. I would suspect that the quality of local programming will continue to suffer as market will still only have 3 real players. KECY has indicated that it may consider a local newscast in the future for the ABC affiliate, until then we will probably suffer from content similar to the current joke that is passed off by KECY as local programming.
The move to digital only broadcasts by KECY and KSWT should serve as a wakeup call to Yuma viewers regarding the need to upgrade to digital capable televisions. With the FCC mandate to cease all broadcasting of analog signals by February of 2009, all analog TV tuners will shortly become useless for receiving broadcast television stations. The FCC in it’s infinite wisdom has decided that the revenues available from auctioning off the frequencies currently used by broadcast television stations is well worth the cost of forcing American consumers to replace their current televisions, buy expensive digital set top tuners, or pay for subscriptions to cable/satellite programming). So the television manufactures make more money, the cable and satellite companies make more money, the government makes more money, and the American consumer gets screwed! What’s new!
Have you noticed that Time Warner is still showing on the cable guide that channel 5 is the old Phoenix station? They announced well before hand that they were switching to KECY 9.2 programming, yet their program guide seems unaware of the change, still showing programming for a station we know longer receive. Time Warner commercials tout how great their customer service is, but they fail to realize that the key to providing good customer service is offering a quality product in the first place.
I see after several days they fixed this problem. Now if Time Warner could just show the correct schedule for AMC. I think they are transmitting the east coast feed while displaying the schedule for the west coast feed.
Please know what your talking about before posting.
“Satellite subscribers will find themselves blacked out from ABC and CW programming along with CBS, NBC, and FOX due to FCC restrictions against carrying programming available over the air in local markets”
That is not true ….. If you have questions ask them, but don’t start by flamming about things you do not have the proper knowledge to flame about!
This was a 6 month old post so things may have changed. When I last checked the Yuma stations were not being rebroadcast by any satellite providers. So subscribers had the choice of using a local antenna to pick up local stations or subscribing to cable as well as the satellite service. In addition as ABC and CW is carried on digital subchannels you must have a digital receiver to pick these up off the air. I know many Yuma residents also use satellite to pick up out of town stations with this programming, bypassing the local stations altogether. But without the extra equipment, the local Yuma channels were not available to satellite users.
If DirectTV or Dish Network now make local programming available without the need for a local antenna, that is great! Please provide details! As far as flaming, if I flamed anything, it would be the lack of competition in the Yuma market and the resulting quality of local news coverage.
Because I was curious about Daniels post, I checked the Dish Network and Direct TV web sites. Both showed that no local programming from Yuma was available on their networks. So the only way to get broadcast network programming such as NBC and ABC is via an antenna and suitable receiver or subscribing to cable.
I for one am glad ABC and CW are now available FREE over-the-air and I don’t have to pay for cable or satellite service to receive more choices in over-the-air viewing.