2009 in Review: 2 GHz BAS Conversion Nearly Complete

Finally, I can't wrap up coverage of 2009 without mentioning the near completion of the long and tedious process for squeezing the 2 GHz (1990 to 2110 MHz) broadcast auxiliary services (BAS) to the 2025-2110 MHz spectrum block, while retaining the same number of channels via reduced bandwidth and conversion to digital modulation. This task required a one-time ramping up of microwave equipment production, straining the limited number of tower crews qualified to do microwave installations. The transition also often involved the installation of very large steerable antennas mounted at or near the top of tall towers or on towers located on mountain peaks with limited accessibility.

The good news is the relocation is nearly complete except in a few markets with specific problems. Unlike the DTV transition, the changes this conversion brings aren’t immediately obvious to viewers, other than as a different set of artifacts from weak signals. As broadcasters upgrade their new digital equipment to support live HD newsgathering in 2010, the impact should become more obvious.

Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.