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LPTV Transition Funding Ends
7/23/2012
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| WUWT-LP (Class A) in Union City, Tenn. on Channel 2 |
UNION CITY, TENN.: In 2009, when the NTIA
National Telecommunications and Information
Administration implemented the Low Power Television
and Translator Digital Upgrade Program, it
set aside $44 million to assist LPTV and translator
operators with financial aid toward the transition,
with operators receiving up to $20,000 each. The
program expires Sept. 30, 2012, but the final date
to apply for funds has just recently passed. All applications
had to be submitted to the NTIA by 5
p.m., July 2.
At the end of June, the NTIA reported
approximately $20 million was still left in
the fund, but a check
of their website two
weeks later revealed
a large surge in the
“home stretch,” with
more than $8.6 million
being awarded
in just the last month
alone. With the cutoff
date for applications
set at July 2, it
appears that more
than 20 percent of
the applicants waited
until the last 30
days to submit their
claims.
According to
NTIA, there will be
about $13,880,540
remaining in the
fund from the original
$44 million, indicating
that just a bit
more than one-third
of the dollars are left
unclaimed when the
program expires in
September.
LEFT OUT IN THE COLD?
Some broadcasters have stated that
they are cutting expenses, and often,
translators just don’t offer the return on
investment. Other broadcasters indicate
that with the uncertainty of spectrum in
the near future, they’re not sure they’ll
be able to keep LPTV or translator channels,
and they just don’t want to put any
money in that direction. Even with an offset
on equipment costs, there are other
considerations such as tower space and
equipment maintenance.
There may be any number of reasons
why some broadcasters have not claimed
these funds, but according to Byron W.
St.Clair, president of the National
Translator Association, there are 255
pending DTV construction applications
for LPTV and translators, and the July 2
deadline is leaving those broadcasters
with empty hands. When asked about a
possible deadline extension, St. Clair said
“it will take legislation to extend the program,
and it’s not looking favorable at this
time.”
ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY
One broadcaster who barely beat the
July 2 deadline is Joe Harpole, owner and
founder, of WUWT-LP (Class A) in Union
City, Tenn. Harpole operates WUWT on
Channel 26, with an ERP of 25kW, serving
the west Tennessee area with an antenna
height of about 331 feet AGL. At 87, Harpole
is no newcomer to broadcasting, but
he’s quite the businessman, with a very
large sense of community involvement.
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| WWUT-LP Owner Doug Harpole celebrates the launch of the station’s new digital signal. |
“It’s all about the community,” Harpole
said. “I have staff members who show up
to do the job, and they could be making
more money just about anywhere else.”
First hitting the air in 1997, WUWT
(which does business by the name WOBTTV)
broadcasts programming from America
One, along with syndicated programs,
but the station also produces and airs municipal
and county meetings every month.
Harpole loves his community, but he
also realizes that it takes money to stay
on the air. Between the America One network
affiliation and other programs required
to “fill the day,” Harpole says that
doesn’t leave a lot of capital just lying
around, and he wasn’t going to miss the
filing deadline.
For his new DTV signal, Harpole selected
a USA-manufactured Pineapple
Technology 1,200-Watt transmitter, with
a Linear Industries encoder/multiplexer.
Late last month, Harpole was on the air
with an ATSC-compliant signal, but it’s not
quite clear if his big smile is about being
on the air with DTV, or because he beat
the July 2 deadline: it’s likely a bit of both.
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