Picture far from perfect for WLS-Ch. 7 viewers since DTV switch


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Posted by chicagomedia.org on July 13, 2009 at 11:37:50:

Picture far from perfect for WLS-Ch. 7

Digital switch leaves some viewers with no signal

By Wailin Wong | Tribune reporter

July 13, 2009

Before June 12, Glenview resident Roger Grubb would turn on his HDTV and marvel over the picture quality of his over-the-air channels, especially WLS-Ch. 7.

"It was spectacular," said Grubb, whose six-story apartment building has a master antenna on the roof. "Of all the channels I got, it was Channel 7 where you would drool over it. And then, all of a sudden, it was just gone."

Since that Friday, when broadcasters across the country switched from analog to digital signals, he hasn't been getting WLS. And neither have pockets of other viewers in the Chicago area.

Although the transition was mostly smooth, some still are experiencing signal problems, and the Federal Communications Commission and WLS are still working to resolve them.

"This is one of the few stations in the country that we're looking at most closely," said FCC spokesman Bill Lake. For those viewers who seem to have done everything right to get digital signals, the FCC believes the problems may center on signal power.

The FCC dispatched additional staff to Chicago, as well as Philadelphia and New York, shortly after the digital transition. The agency granted WLS permission to experiment with power levels for two weeks. That testing period ended last week, and now engineers will analyze the results.

"The hope, obviously, would be that the increased power would relieve the reception problems and wouldn't cause interference" with neighboring stations, said Lake. "But if that's not the case, we and the station need to continue to look for solutions."

Chicago viewers need an antenna that can handle both UHF and VHF frequencies, one reason some consumers may not be getting all the new stations. In the transition, WLS moved its digital signal from Channel 52 on UHF to Channel 7 on VHF. Emily Barr, president and general manager at WLS, said early testing showed that signals would cover the same geographical area as before.

"What we were unable to replicate was what happens if you're in a stone building, a stone house or a high-rise and using an indoor antenna," Barr said.

VHF frequencies can have difficulty getting through windows, as well as brick and stone. That's part of the reason Chicago and other metropolitan areas with tall buildings continue to have lingering problems with the digital signals. And unlike in the analog era, when a weak signal might result in a snowy picture, a digital picture appears crystal clear or not at all.

Barr said the trouble spots appear isolated and that WLS viewership, as indicated by ratings, has stayed steady.

Marlene Peterson, a self-professed "news junkie," has switched from watching "ABC World News" to "NBC Nightly News" because the WLS signal is inconsistent.

"Sometimes it comes in beautifully, and other times it doesn't come in at all," said Peterson, who has an antenna on the roof of her Glenview ranch home. "For example, I just turned it on now, and it's fine. Last night we wanted to watch the news and we didn't get it at all."

The FCC and WLS are continuing to recommend that consumers look into outdoor antennas.

For those who aren't able to do so, "we've told them to check back with us because we're interested in resolving this for absolutely everybody," Barr said. "We know it's not a significant number of people, but, frankly, even one person is significant."


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