LARGO, Fla.—Christian Television Network (CTN) operates 24 television stations throughout the United States. As director of engineering, my responsibilities cover all areas of the technical infrastructure for each station, including all RF facilities and systems. 

Preparing for an ATSC 3.0 future is one of our top initiatives group-wide and is keeping us very active on the RF side of the equation. We recently installed three new Dielectric antennas at WCLF-TV in Clearwater, and WFGC-TV in Palm Beach, both in Florida, as well as WHNO-TV in New Orleans as part of our ATSC 3.0 deployments. 

Power for NextGen TV
Substantial power increases were approved for all three stations, with WCLF and WHNO (both UHF stations) increasing to 1MW ERP and WFGC, a VHF station, increasing to 65kW ERP. All three stations were also relocated to new tower sites, adding another layer of complexity to already challenging timelines. 

WFGC was relocated from UHF Channel 49 to VHF Channel 7 during the spectrum repack, and we added a new Dielectric VHF antenna on our previous tower once we landed on our new frequency. That antenna was optimized for horizontal polarization per our choice, but we later realized that a vertically polarized antenna would provide better coverage in the market. 

We  ordered a new Dielectric THV Series antenna that was well-timed with our tower relocation. This time we made sure to add a V-Pol element to improve our ATSC 3.0 coverage. Our expanded coverage area also benefits from a much higher tower position, moving from 450 feet to 1150 feet. The difference has been enormous, and we are now maximizing our market coverage from Vero Beach south through into Miami, while also seeing major improvements in building penetration.

Maximized Coverage
Our THV Series antenna is a simple five-layer antenna design that radiates with a peanut-shaped azimuth pattern in alignment with our coverage requirements. Dielectric added a null to the back of the antenna to protect the signal from radiating over the Atlantic Ocean. The special azimuth null design includes specially designed fins that are mounted to the antenna, and these fins ultimately play an important role in shaping the direction of the signal.

WCLF-TV, which covers the Tampa Bay market on UHF Channel 21, has enjoyed the biggest coverage increase since installing our new TFU-26EST-R C220 antenna in late 2023, nearly doubling our ERP. This allows us to reach viewers northeast of Tampa and out toward the Orlando region—areas we couldn’t reach with our previous ERP.

We exclusively use Dielectric antennas across our network, and, as anticipated, the performance of our three new sticks are rock-solid. I swept all the systems at the time they went to air and followed with a second sweep at each site 90 days later. The results were identical, with no discernable difference in performance and no challenges with reflected power.

Our relocation to new tower sites essentially required a complete refresh of the RF infrastructure for each station, and we additionally sourced our filters, transmission line and other RF components where necessary. Dielectric’s ability to manufacture and deliver antennas and RF systems within tight deadlines assured that we had our new systems in time for our tower moves, and allowed us to meet our goal of having all systems up and running by the end of 2023.

Hugh Allegood oversees engineering for all CTN stations as director of engineering and RF systems engineer.

For more information on Dielectric, visit www.dielectric.com.

A new research report from Antenna is confirming the widely held perception that the streaming business is entering a more mature phase with growth slowing and fickle consumers becoming more likely to cut services. 

The State of Subscriptions report from Antenna found that the SVOD industry grew by a healthy 10.1% in 2023, a growth rate that some media like broadcast TV would love to see. But that was less than half the growth seen in 2022, when subscriptions rose by 21.6%. 

The study also found that streaming companies were working harder for less growth. Antenna’s Weighted Average Churn reached 5.5% at the end of 2023, up 0.8 percentage points from the year prior. In 2023, the industry saw an increase of 19.3 million more gross additions than 2022 but there were 36.2 million more constellations than 2022, which translated into 17.0 million fewer net additions and slower growth. 

“Antenna sees the streaming video category entering a new era,” the researchers wrote in the report. “The previous stage was hyper-focused on acquisition – which made sense, as these new brands had to establish a mass audience. But now that the largest players have that scale (and the niche players have introduced themselves to their target audiences), they must shift their focus to managing their Subscribers.”

Total subscriptions were 242.9 million at 2023 with Peacock, Paramount+, and Netflix driving the most sub growth in 2023. Nexflix had 26% of all subscriptions, holding its share for the first time since 2019.

In addition to finding that the churn rate has almost tripled in four years, the data highlighted some important facts about those churners. 

Nearly a quarter (23%) fall into a category Antenna calls Serial Churners who have 3+ cancellations of a Premium SVOD Service in the past two years, up from 17% in 2022. 

Their data also found that 42% of Serial Churners have canceled a premium SVOD Service 5+ times in the past two years, and 19% have Canceled 7+ times. 

The study also found that many people are resubscribing, making win-backs an important strategy, with weighted average resubscribe rate increasing to 30.1% in 2023.

Serial Churners are also an increasingly important target for acquisition strategies, the study found. Serial Churners accounted for all of the growth in acquisition in 2023, driving 60.0 million gross additions in 2023, up +36.2% YoY. In contrast, gross additions by Non-Serial Churners fell -2.0% YoY to 99.5 million, the report found. 

The full report can be found here.  

New research from Antenna highlights the fact that the SVOD streaming market in the U.S. is growing increasingly mature with a growing proportion of new subscribers belonging to a category the researchers call “serial churners” who regularly cancel one streaming service and move to different SVOD services. 

The data is notable because it has many implications for how subscription marketers manage the complexities of subscriber “acquisition” and “churn.” 

Working with Adobe on a custom analysis to better understand subscribers and their path from one service to another, the new Antenna data indicates that a significant portion of SVOD subscribers “switch” (i.e. cancel one service and subscribe to another), “resubscribe” (i.e. cancel one service, but resubscribe to that same service later on), and “manage plans” (i.e. move across ad-supported and ad-free tiers, or standalone to bundled tiers). 

“These behaviors are of critical importance for operators to understand, as they can reveal clues for how to best market to consumers in an effort to bolster lifetime value (LTV)," of a subscriber Brendan Brady, media and entertainment lead at Antenna explained in a blog post. 

The research found that more than one-third of users who canceled a Premium SVOD service between Q1’21 and Q1’22 were “won-back” 12 months later. Nearly a quarter of these users were “won-back” within three (3) months after canceling. 

However, the loyalty profile of users can vary significantly across lifetimes, Brady wrote. 

“In aggregate, users who subscribed to a Premium SVOD service for the first time between Q1’21 and Q1’22 had a 12 month survival rate of 45%,” he wrote. “That survival rate dropped -9pts to 36% for users on their second lifetime, and -19pts to 26% for users on their third or more lifetime.”

The research also found that a rapidly growing portion of new subscribers is driving by those “serial churners.” In 2023, Antenna is reporting that about one third of new signups come from serial churners, up from only 10% ini 2019. 

Antenna and Adobe will be co-presenting more findings about subscriber behavior, emerging segments of users, and the nuances associated with these dynamics at the “Adobe Experience Makers Webinar: Understanding the Streaming Subscriber Journey” on Tuesday, October 24th at 10:00 AM PT | 1:00 PM ET.

Although it’s been just a few weeks since Netflix rolled out its campaign to crack down on password sharing among its U.S. subscribers, early results show a significant increase in new subscriptions. 

According to researcher Antenna, May 23-27 marked Netflix’s four single largest days of new subscriptions in the U.S. since Antenna began tracking the service, with nearly 100,000 new subscribers on two of those days. 

Average daily sign-ups to Netflix reached 73,000 during the four-day period, a +102% increase from the prior 60-day average. These exceed the spikes in sign-ups Antenna observed during the initial U.S. Covid-19 lockdowns in March and April 2020. Cancels also increased during this period, but not as much as sign-ups. The ratio of sign-ups to cancels since May 23rd is up +25.6% compared to the previous 60-day period. 

In 2022, in response to a slowing rate of new subscriptions and declining revenues, the world’s largest streaming service announced that it would begin cracking down on the practice of subscribers sharing their passwords with persons outside of their immediate households. After testing its tracking methods in South America and parts of Europe, Netflix rolled out its new policy on May 23. Netflix estimates that approximately 100 million of its 232.5 million subscribers worldwide have been sharing their passwords with people outside of their households.

When confronted with the new policy, subscribers can either transfer the profile of the person outside of the immediate household in order to get that person to pay for their own subscription or the subscriber add new members outside of their household for $7.99 a month per person.

PORTLAND, Maine—JS Engineering has partnered with Shulins’ Solutions to offer drone-based temperature measurements and visual inspections at RF sites.

Traditionally, these services are performed by trained tower technicians who carefully climb a tower to inspect its physical elements and make repairs.

“While nothing can fully replace a physical inspection, sUAS inspections bring new technology and capabilities, allowing for inspections that can be made more frequently, less expensively and, in many cases, with more detail than a physical inspection — often finding problems not obvious from the ground,” said Shulins’ Solutions on its website.

Leading the charge on this offering are two broadcast and RF consultants: Paul Shulins, president at Shulins’ Solutions, and Jim Stenberg, owner of JS Engineering.

“We obtain the necessary clearances and arrive on site to completely profile your tower and its antennas and transmission lines with both visible and infrared cameras,” said Stenberg in a LinkedIn post. “The high-power zoom visual camera provides details that even a knowledgeable tower climber might miss.”

The infrared profile is then reviewed on site and areas of concern can be highlighted and further studied, said Stenberg.

“By viewing all the antennas/transmission lines on a particular tower, and by performing several tower studies on one trip, we can efficiently share the costs of the service amongst a number of owners, tenants and services,” he said.

JS Engineering, based in Portland, Maine, was originally formed in 2005 to provide RF equipment field service and system testing to the broadcast industry. After a years-long hiatus, in which Stenberg worked for American Tower Corp., the company re-opened, offering its services to broadcast and wireless clients on a contract basis.

Shulins’ Solutions, based in Wickenburg, Arizona, provides monitor, control and protection solutions for transmission sites and broadcast antennas and sUAS drone-based tower inspections, among other broadcasting consulting services.

Click here for more information on the companies’ sUAS drone services.

This article originally appeared on TV Tech sister brand, Radio World. 

THAMES DITTON, England—Imagine Communications has announced that it recently helped one of Europe’s largest media companies, the Antenna Group, quickly move 22 pay TV channels and two streaming services with more than 24 million subscribers in 12 territories to Imagine's Landmark Rights and Scheduling software as a managed service.  

The new system, which operates as Software as a Service (SaaS) within the dedicated Imagine cloud, has enabled Antenna to streamline workflows and operations and maximize return on investment by moving to an OpEx model.

Antenna had to make the move on a tight deadline after acquiring the networks and services from Sony, the companies said.  

In Hungary, headquarters of Antenna Entertainment, a previous version of the Landmark system was in use, and the decision was made to integrate the operations into a single, modernized platform. 

“Managing rights and scheduling across multiple linear and digital platforms, in multiple territories, is a complex business,” said Costas Colombus, CTO of Antenna Group. “We had to take on a very large library of new content from the acquisition, alongside our existing rights holdings, and get our operations up to speed immediately. Imagine gave us complete confidence in the database rapid migration, as well as the advantages of using Landmark as a SaaS that were commercially compelling.”

The commercial terms of the acquisition left a very short window for the operations to be transferred, and specialists from Imagine and local distributor Amy DV in Athens quickly began work to help Antenna meet their deadline. The entire implementation — including creation of SaaS instances, the migration of on-premises databases from both operations into the Imagine cloud, and training of the team — was achieved in less than 12 weeks. 

Mathias Eckert, senior vice president and general manager of EMEA and APAC at Imagine Communications, added that “Media enterprises today want to concentrate on their core business of making, managing and monetizing content. Operating the core technology as a SaaS makes it very fast to implement ― as the Antenna project shows ― with all the maintenance and support carried out for the business by our cloud facilities. Antenna never has to worry about software updates or the routine maintenance and replacement of servers. The result is a highly functional system which is precisely tailored to their needs, and with a significantly reduced total cost of ownership.”

​Landmark Rights & Scheduling enables rights management and scheduling for premium-quality live, streaming and on-demand channels and content. Its comprehensive scheduling engine provides the tools to create single or multichannel schedules — combining program content and advertisements into a single, frame-accurate playlist. This allows media companies to get the most from their programming assets with the optimal schedule to reach target audiences and maximize profits., Imagine said. 

“We carefully analyzed Antenna’s business processes before determining that Landmark was the right product for the evolution of their workflow,” said David Chalkidis, manager at Amy DV. “Migrating to a next-generation version of software that their operators were already familiar with enabled Antenna to streamline this significant transition and prepare for a converged linear and digital future.”

For more information visit https://www.imaginecommunications.com. 

A new survey suggests that viewer attitudes towards what they want from the Super Bowl viewing experience and how they plan to watch the big game are shifting. 

As in earlier years, the largest group will be watching via a pay TV provider but cord cutting is cutting into that audience, with about 49% of Americans saying they planned to watch the game using their pay TV subscription, followed by streaming (22%) and over-the-air using an antenna (10%), according to Amdocs. 

Their survey of about 1,000 Americans also found that  81% of Americans who will be tuning into the game are interested in a more robust Super Bowl Sunday experience. 

Many of those who planned to watch the game expressed concerns about costs, with 44% stating cost is a factor when it comes to streaming. 

But many consumers (31%) were not aware they could watch the game and other sporting events aired by broadcasters for free via an antenna. About 46% said they were aware they could use an antenna but reported they don’t use one and 23% said they were aware and did use an antenna. 

Of the 31% who said they weren't aware that they could watch it via an antenna, 17% said they didn’t know about antennas and were interested in the idea; 14% said they didn’t know about antennas and weren’t interested. 

In 2022, Nielsen estimated that about 18.6 million homes were using antennas, or 15% of the U.S., a higher percentage than the 10% of respondents in this survey who said they planned to use an antenna to view the game over-the-air. 

The survey also found that consumers want new Super Bowl experiences beyond watching, with over half of viewers (58%) expressing interest in the metaverse to create a virtual stadium. AR/VR, a 360-degree live view of the game and increased interaction also generated interest.  

About 20% of viewers would be interested in augmented reality to make Rihanna’s half-time performance come to life 

Anthony Goonetilleke, group president of technology and head of strategy for Amdocs, explained that the findings underscore the need for network readiness to ensure all viewers have the same opportunities available during major cultural events. He added that the findings also indicated that more service providers will begin offering unique ‘experience packages’ that can be tailored to end-users, in order to compete in the new digital world. 

New research from Antenna suggests that the relatively new Netflix ad supported tier is getting off to a slow start, with only 9% of new signups in November of 2022 subscribing to the Netflix Basic with Ads tier. 

The subscription analytics firm Antenna also found, however, that the tier is not, as yet, causing a great deal of cannibalization of Netflix’s existing subs. Only 0.1% of Netflix’s U.S. subs switched to the ad-supported tier in November, according to Antenna. 

Netflix only launched the new tier on November 3 so the data is only a very early indication of consumer reaction to the offering. 

In a blog post, Jonathan Carson, co-founder and CEO of the company noted that “Antenna’s data suggests a modest start. Antenna finds that 9% of Netflix Sign-ups in the U.S. in November were to the “Basic with Ads” plan, making it the least popular of their plan options. In addition to the Basic with Ads Subscribers who signed-up for Netflix, Antenna observed 0.1% of Netflix’s existing U.S. Subscribers switching to the Basic with Ads plan in November.”

Carson added that “HBO Max saw a mild pickup when it first launched its ad-supported option in June 2021. As Antenna previously reported, 15% of HBO’s U.S. Sign-ups were for HBO Max With Ads in its launch month.

 In addition, Antenna found that 0.2% of existing U.S. HBO Max Subscribers switched to the ad-supported plan in its launch month, about double the Netflix switching rate, Carson wrote. “The popularity of the HBO Max With Ads plan did increase over time, accounting for as many as nearly one in three Sign-ups over the course of its first year in the market,” he explained. “Currently, Antenna estimates that 21% of HBO Max Subscribers are to the ad-supported plan. 

Data from the Antenna post was first published in the Wall Street Journal. 

More information on this study and other insights from Antenna is available here. 

Fickle subscribers dropping SVOD services continue to be a major problem for the streaming industry, with new research showing there were 32 million subscription cancellations of subscription video streaming services in Q3 2022 among the 10 major SVOD services tracked by Antenna. 

That slowed overall SVOD subscription growth to 2.5% in Q3 versus Q2. The sluggish Q3 growth was however better than Q2, which was up only 1.5%, the smallest increase Antenna has seen since starting to track the market in 2019. 

“Antenna has long highlighted Churn as a crucial dynamic in the SVOD industry,” explained Jonathan Carson, co-founder and chair in a blog post analyzing the data, who noted that the 32 million cancellations in Q3 was significantly up from the two previous quarters when they were running at about 28 million during each quarter. 

“The Average Monthly Churn rate for the Premium SVOD category reached 5.8% in September," he said. "To put this in perspective, category Churn in 2021 was 4.5%; in 2020 it was 4.0%; and in 2019 it was 3.2%.”

“Historical Churn data becomes even more insightful when analyzed at the Service level,” Carson added. “Antenna previously documented a meaningful uptick in Netflix Churn following its last price increase in January 2022. In fact, Netflix’s Average Monthly Churn was up again in Q3, to 3.5% from 3.4% in Q2, and 2.0% in 2021.”

Carson stressed however that the problem of churn varied significantly between different players.

Services that have launched in the past three years since the so-called “streaming wars” began like Apple TV+, Discovery+, Disney+, and Peacock all have had fairly stable churn levels since their launch periods.

Another group which is made up of legacy linear brands like HBO, Showtime and Starz have also seen relatively stable churn rates in part due to their long experience of intense competition with each other. 

SVOD originals like Hulu, Netflix and Paramount Plus were initially “so differentiated in that less competitive market that they had significantly lower Churn than they face today,” Carson argued. “As the market became more competitive, however, the differentiation was more difficult for consumers to identify and the average monthly Churn rates rose accordingly: from 3.7% in 2020 to 4.7% thus far in 2022 for Hulu; from 4.9% to 6.4% for Paramount+; and from 1.9% to 3.3% for Netflix.”  

“All in all, competition in SVOD will only intensify in the future, so having a robust understanding of what impacts Churn and the strategies available to minimize it will continue to be critical for all market players,” he concluded. 

‍Details on Antenna’s methodology and metric definitions are available here.

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL—WUCW-DT, the CW affiliate here, has gone on air with a new Dielectric UHF antenna that employs an end-fed pylon system and reimagines the design of a traditional stacked antenna array, Dielectric said.

The challenging E-Type antenna design addresses current tower code requirements for exposed transmission line and was delivered in a modular configuration that simplified the antenna replacement project for Tower King II, which managed all site preparation and installation work. The system also retained the existing Dielectric repack antenna on the top position without requiring extensive tower modifications, it said.

Several broadcast antennas are located on the south tower at Telefarm Towers, a two-tier transmission site for TV and FM radio broadcasters. 

To optimize tower real estate and provide true omnidirectional performance, WUCW and ABC affiliate KSTP-DT have long transmitted from a top-mounted broadband stacked antenna system. The original system included a Dielectric TU Series Deltastar panel antenna on the lower position of the stacked array, it said.

The existing antenna, configured as a “five-around panel antenna,” was supported by a wide, robust mast.  As replacement loomed, Dielectric recognized the project would prove to be one of the most challenging it has ever faced, Dielectric said. 

“WUCW engineers first considered making an adapter for the top antenna and the existing support system, but changed course toward preferring a modernized stacked array that was simpler and provided enhanced long-term reliability over the panel system,” said James Butts, a mechanical engineer at, Dielectric.

“While that was indeed the result, the work required to get there made this one of the most mechanically unique UHF antennas we have manufactured," he continued. "This WUCW antenna is a very large variant of our E-Type antenna design that was carefully engineered to meet the customer’s unique design needs.”

One big challenge was finding the best way to run the transmission line to the top KSTP antenna. Previous revisions of design codes allowed Dielectric to run the line up the side of an antenna mast, exposed to the elements without increasing the mast drag coefficient, the company said. 

“The latest code revisions required by Telefarm impose mast designs with exposed appurtenances such as transmission line with higher drag coefficients, which greatly increase wind loads,” said Butts. “We had to come up with an antenna feed system design that would obscure the transmission line without increasing the windload on the bottom antenna. That meant routing the feed to the top KSTP antenna under the radome of the bottom WUCW antenna,” said Butts.

Dielectric designed a two-piece mast for WUCW that measures 20 inches in diameter and is two inches thick. The antenna employed innovative technology to verify WUCW maintained an omnidirectional azimuth pattern in both the horizontal and vertical patterns. Typically, the azimuth patterns are distorted on the bottom of a stack antenna due to the transmission line to feed the top. This, along with the mechanical stoutness of the antenna, makes the deployment an innovative achievement, the company said.

To make installation easier, Dielectric split the new bottom antenna into two pieces, adding a flange in the middle, making it possible for the tower crew to raise the antenna and split the lifting load on the tower and ginpole. Total weight without the split would have been close to 30,000 pounds, but the design made it possible to connect the two pieces with the flange, it said. 

“The biggest challenge mechanically was to keep the weight of those two sections low enough for a potential helicopter lift or a reasonably sized ginpole,” said Butts.

Splitting the load in half gave the Tower King II crew more installation options.  “We set the first section and then the second section, and then connected the bottom and top antennas with the transmission line,” said Tower King II owner and President Kevin Barber. “In the end, the thought that Dielectric put into the design and the modularity made the installation very clean and easily achieved.”

More information is available on the Dielectric website.

BACKNANG, Germany—Hiltron Communications has introduced the HDCU2 de-icing sensor and heating controller for satellite antennas.

"Optimized for use with small to medium-sized antenna reflectors, VSAT-oriented, the HDCU2 represents a new generation of our established HDCU and HDCU-E which have operated very successfully over the years in many locations around the world," said Jean-Luc George van Eeckhoutte, sales manager at Hiltron. "Enclosed in a 180 x 180 x 90mm [7 x 7 x 3.5-inch] weatherproof housing, the complete unit conforms to IP66 protection against heavy rain or snow."

The HDCU2 incorporates an ambient PT 100 temperature sensor and an optional reflector in addition to a snow precipitation sensor. Up to three 2.9 kW heating circuits in three-phase 400 volt AC configuration can be controlled. The HDCU2 can alternatively be configured for single-phase 230 volt AC operation where the combined output load for all three power feeds does not exceed 2.9 kilowatts, the company said.

Load control can be performed individually for each of the three circuits. Each heater circuit can supply one or more antenna heater pads. The permitted current for the three heater circuits is controlled and monitored independently via LAN or SNMP, it said.

The controller is offered with an intuitive web-based interface and supports automatic as well as manual control operation. In manual mode, the heating function for each circuit can be switched on or off. Detected currents and temperatures can be monitored remotely. Monitor and control parameters displayed include heater circuit current thresholds, safety switchoff limit, heater activation/deactivation temperature thresholds and related timing, it said.

The HDCU2 is rated for operation in -30 to +50 degrees Celsius [-22 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit] temperature environments and 5 to 95 percent non-condensing humidity. It has a standby power consumption of 4 watts and conforms fully to the relevant CE safety, EMC, emissions and immunity standards, it said.

Connectivity ports along the underside of the housing are provided for a rain and snow sensor, dish temperature sensor, ambient temperature sensor, local area network, mains power input and heater output feeds, it said.

More information is available on the company’s website.

WATERLOO, Canada—Dejero this week announced a partnership with antenna and RF technology specialist Taoglas to assist its customers in choosing high-performance antennas for its cellular bonding transmitters when used in mobile and fixed applications.

Antennas play a key role in increasing the signal strength of cellular connections. The partnership will simplify the process of selecting the right external antenna for applications of Dejero’s bonded cellular transmitters in broadcast and media, public safety and those of other government agencies.

“Taoglas is renowned for designing high-quality antenna products. By building partnerships like this, we are ensuring that our customers have easy access to well-proven and trusted technologies that seamlessly integrate with Dejero solutions to achieve the best performance and reliability,” said Kevin Fernandes, chief revenue officer at Dejero. 

Taoglas offers design, consultancy and engineering expertise and has support and test centers around the world. Leveraging these strengths, it offers best-in-class antennas that deliver high performance and reliability, Dejero said. 

More information is available on the Dejero and Taoglas websites.

In terms of television delivery, the adage “what’s old is new again” seems appropriate.

And this time, the “old” is more attractive.

The television industry has constantly evolved since the inception of commercial broadcasting in the 1940s and has experienced three fundamental phases.

• The first was the “free TV era.” Viewers received VHF and UHF channels at no cost using over-the-air (OTA) antennas. The only downside was limited choices, so technologies were developed to address this latent demand.
• Then came the ascendancy of cable and satellite delivery, providing paying subscribers with more than a hundred networks, even if they were only interested in a few. At its peak, about 90% of homes opted into this all-you-can-eat buffet on their televisions.
• We have now entered a new era, again driven by technology, with the emergence of on-demand streaming services. Some carry monthly fees like Netflix and Disney+. Others are free, like the growing number of AVOD services and FAST platforms such as Pluto and Tubi. Some services are hybrids like Peacock and Hulu that offer both free and paid subscriptions.

At Scripps, we have labeled this the “self-bundling era” because consumers can now decide which combination of services is optimal for their needs.

Retain cable and add two streaming services? Cut the cord and subscribe to six? Which six?  

In a country of 122 million homes, we could end up with nearly 122 million different combinations. Even within a home, viewing options will vary based on whether a room has a smart TV—and which brand.

Based on the facts, Scripps believes free, over-the-air TV will play an important role in this new era. According to the Consumer Technology Association, about 8.5 million digital antennas are sold in the U.S. each year. Household penetration for antennas has been growing, and today, nearly 1 in 3 homes has one—up from 26% in 2019 to 32% in 2021. Many own more than one.

50M Households by 2025?
Antenna owners include a surprisingly even mix of cable/satellite subscribers vs. non-subscribers. Cord-cutters, and cord-nevers, use antennas to watch content that isn’t widely available on SVOD services, such as local news and live sports.  Cable and satellite homes use antennas to watch TV on unwired sets and watch channels not included in their subscription packages. OTA access is just another item to consider when assembling one’s self-bundle. And it’s free.

Digital antenna penetration is likely to continue to grow at a steady rate.  According to projections, OTA could eclipse 50 million U.S. homes by 2025.  Content is likely to be a huge driver. After all, assembling the optimal mix of content breadth and depth is the guiding principle of self-bundling.

If you don’t have an antenna, you may be surprised to learn how many channels you can receive with this simple device. A common misconception is that OTA only includes the major broadcast networks, one or two independent stations, a PBS affiliate, and perhaps a few shopping and religious channels. In reality, the offerings typically include more than two dozen multicast networks—also known as “diginets.” These networks are carried on the transmissions of traditional TV stations via digital compression. 

The most widely viewed networks include MeTV (classic series), Grit (westerns), Bounce (African American-targeted series and movies) and Start TV (off-net dramas). Additional networks feature sci-fi, comedy, movies, sports, how-to and other unscripted reality programming, and more. Two former cable networks, Newsy and Court TV, have been revived as free over-the-air multicast networks. Six new multicast networks launched last year alone.

70% Audience Growth
The dramatic increase in the number and diversity of multicast networks, coupled with vastly improved and attractive content, has resulted in almost 70% growth in audience for this segment over the past five years, per Nielsen. During this same period, cable network audiences declined by nearly one-third.

The biggest obstacles to OTA being a part of more consumers’ bundles are awareness and familiarity. As previously noted, non-owners of antennas underestimate the number of networks they can receive with a digital antenna.  They also don’t realize that over-the-air networks are different from the ones available via cable and satellite packages. Unaware consumers may also perceive antennas as settling for an inferior package. But research indicates that OTA households are more satisfied overall with their bundles than MVPD subscribers.

Improved technology will be an additional driver of OTA adoption. ATSC 3.0 (also known as NextGen TV) promises improved reception, better sound quality, the ability to watch on mobile devices, targeted datacasting and other benefits. It has already begun rolling out market-by-market.

Additionally, a new generation of “smart antennas” work with home Wi-Fi and enable users to watch OTA content on-demand and to more easily record broadcast programs with built-in DVR functionality. They also can provide return-path data – which is hugely important for audience measurement and for allowing addressable advertising.

The bottom line: Even though antennas hearken back to an earlier era, they have evolved and now are helping to shape the self-bundling equation, and this won’t change going forward. The original delivery system for television has become one of the most attractive.  

For one thing, you can’t beat the cost.

RAYMOND, Maine—Dielectric today announced it will showcase its NextGen TV Powerlite TFU-WB-LP series at the 2021 NAB Show, Oct. 10-13 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, featuring an extensive pattern portfolio and coverage optimization for single-frequency network (SFN) and LPTV applications. 

Announced in 2020, the new antenna system series is built with NextGen TV in mind, offering a series of elevation gains, azimuth patterns with high front and back ratios and software tools to assist broadcasters in designing and deploying ATSC 3.0 SFNs, the company said.

Dielectric’s Proposal Generator software will help broadcasters configure SFN systems that meet very specific network designs. Broadcasters can select the proper power level, directional pattern, height above ground level, and other pertinent design criteria for each SFN location, it said. 

“After extensive calculations and design process changes, we launched our repack product portfolio with ATSC 3.0 power requirements in mind, but optimized for high-power broadcasting,” said Keith Pelletier, vice president and general manager of Dielectric.

“There is more to the SFN than being robust enough to get the ATSC 3.0 signal out there. They require even bit distribution from two or more transmission sites throughout the broadcast market. That means supplying antennas with exceptional accuracy to ensure that coverage gaps between transmission sites are properly filled, and that signal strength is uniformly increased in the market,” he said.

Dielectric developed the series while working with consultants on theoretical SFN deployment plans. Customers specifically requested products designed for an SFN business model, the company said.

The new Powerlite TFU-WB-LP series offers antennas, transmission line, tunable filters and RF components into an all-inclusive package. They are built in four-bay increments with a maximum ERP of 100 kW for each antenna. They are also available with higher power options, the company said.

The new series is adaptable to multi-frequency networks and can serve both narrow-band and broadband RF configurations. The series can also work in concert with more traditional high-power high-tower antennas, which many broadcasters will want to keep in operation, Dielectric said.

The 2021 NAB Show will be held Oct. 10-13 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. See Dielectric at NAB Booth C7215. 

More information is available on the company’s website. 

CHICAGO—On the list of strange things to happen in 2020, add Miller Lite coming out with a TV antenna as the latest entry. The beer company has announced what it calls the “Cantenna,” a reception device—and beer—that is designed specifically for cord-cutters or cord-nevers to receive broadcasts of NFL football games as an alternative to illegal streaming.

“Streaming live sports can get frustrating and expensive and if cord-cutters want to watch football, they’re often forced to resort  to sketchy, unreliable, illegal streaming,” said Stephanie Clanfield, associate marketing manager, Miller Lite. “Miller Lite is determined to bring you smooth streaming and make your Miller Time a little easier with the new Miller Lite Cantenna.”

Miller Lite isn’t planning on officially entering into the antennas industry, however. The Cantenna is a promotional offer, similar to the “Cantroller” that Miller launched in 2019. Those 21 and older can enter into a sweepstakes between now and Oct. 12 to win their own Cantenna.

Ann Marie Cumming, senior vice president of communications for NAB, offered her thoughts on this unique antenna hybrid to Marketing Daily: “I can’t speak to the functionality of the beer can TV antenna, but I do concur with the campaign that over-the-air television offers exceptional picture quality for free. That’s a value that can’t be beaten!”

Miller Lite promoted the new Cantenna on social media during NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.” Watch the video below.

WASHINGTON—The FCC has officially eliminated the World War II-era rules that prohibited TV and radio licenses to be granted to or renewed to a person or organization that controlled an antenna site. This rules were scheduled to be on the docket for the commission’s August open meeting on Aug. 6, but will now be removed.

“We conclude that these rules no longer serve any practical purpose in light of significant broadcast infrastructure development that has taken place since they were first adopted 75 years ago,” the FCC wrote in its Report & Order. The commission described the action as a part of its continued process to modernize media regulations.

The original rules, which the FCC notes were adopted when TV and FM broadcasting were emerging industries and when materials were scarce because of WWII, precluded anyone who owned, leased or controlled an antenna site from being granted a license, or a renewal of one, if the site was not available for use by other such licensees.

“Since that time, the broadcast market has grown significantly with a corresponding increase in the number of antenna sites available,” the FCC wrote.

The commission said that it received no comment from any broadcast licensees that would be affected by the removal of these rules. In fact, only two comments were received, both from consumers, with one agreeing that the rules are “outdated.” The other comment did express concern on the importance of preserving the widespread availability of FM and TV broadcasting, to which the FCC agreed and said it does not believe the elimination will result in any such negative impact.

The FCC presented four reasons as to why it’s eliminating these rules. First, the rules no longer apply to today’s marketplace, as TV and FM broadcasting are firmly established and there is no evidence of a shortage of materials. Second, the communications tower market is dominated by entities that do not hold broadcast licenses and there is no indication that they intend to restrict access to tower users’ competitors. Third, the current rules apply only to “extremely limited circumstances.” And lastly, maintaining these rules would be a waste of FCC time and resources, per the commission.

“Simply put, based on our expert judgement and lack of record received, we find that these 75-year-old rules have outlived their utility,” the FCC concluded. “Therefore, we determine that it is in the public interest to eliminate these outdated rules.”

The full FCC Report & Order is available online. 

VICTORIA, Canada—As the U.S. spectrum repack winds down, a “mini-repack” of sorts is taking shape north of the border. The Canadian DTV Allotment Plan—launched in 2015—essentially reconfigures the 600 MHz band across all provinces and territories, and includes new channel assignments for both high-power and low-power TV stations.

CHEK-DT, an independent TV station licensed to Victoria, B.C., relocated to UHF Channel 16 (from Channel 49) at the end of April as part of the DTV Allotment Plan. Owned by CHEK Media Group, a consortium of station employees and local investors, CHEK-DT primarily serves new programming to viewers in the southwestern area of the province.

The transition from Channel 49 to 16 was substantial enough to require a new transmitter. In addition, since the existing transmitter was nearing end of life, we decided to overhaul the entire system, including the STL and antenna. For the latter, we went straight to Dielectric, given our previous experience with Dielectric antennas, along with their industry longevity and engineering quality.

TOWER-ING JOB

We selected a TLP Series slot antenna from Dielectric’s Powerlite Series—specifically, the TLP-8M model—for the new Channel 16 assignment. The TLP-8M is an eight-bay, elliptically polarized directional antenna side-mounted on the tower at a height of 482.4 meters (1,582.6 feet) above average terrain. Dielectric customized the polarization to include a 30% vertical ratio to improve reception for viewers with indoor antennas.

The Powerlite Series is ideal for TV stations seeking an all-in-one antenna system. The Channel 16 system includes a wall-mounted filter and 1-5/8-inch rigid transmission line inside the transmitter building, among other essential RF components. The existing transmission line outside the building was retained and factored into planning for the new antenna’s size.

Mounting the new antenna proved a fairly simple job, requiring a small tower crew with a pulley system. We worked with Dielectric to ensure that our existing antenna-mounting hardware could be used, which simplified installation. We also specified an antenna of the same approximate  weight and wind load, which eliminated the need to reinforce the tower structure. Dielectric’s sales and engineering departments stayed in touch with us throughout the design process, providing feedback and advice on the structural design and key performance specifications.

BOOSTING THE SIGNAL

As for performance, the new system is exceeding expectations in the early days. We had a close eye on VSWR performance, and immediately recognized that the VSWR was very low, with minimal return loss or reflection back towards the transmitter This ensures that the RF power transmitting through the system and out from the antenna is remarkably efficient. We have also noticed minimal signal loss through the new Dielectric filter, which contributes to the overall efficiency of our transmission system.

Signal coverage and quality has improved overall as well, notably in Victoria and Vancouver. Some of our viewers in low-lying areas, where we previously had signal strength challenges, have reported improvements in reception. This validates our strategy of enhancing the vertical component within the elliptical polarization, as the new antenna uses the same elliptical pattern and points in the same directional pattern as before.

Working with Dielectric has always proven simple, with outstanding communication and a desire to build systems that address our requests to exacting specifications. We anticipate that this antenna will remain in service for decades as we continue to broadcast to our local communities.

Kory Andersen can be reached at kandersen@cheknews.ca. 

For more information on Dielectric, contact Kim Savage at kim.savage@dielectric.com. 

RAYMOND, Maine—As the spectrum repack continues, Dielectric has announced that it is supporting three Maine stations in Phase 8, with one recently completed for WMEA-DT, a Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation station.

Using Dielectric antennas to deliver over-the-air PBS stations, WMEA-DT in Biddeford, Maine, has completed its repack transition from UHF Channel 45 to Channel 36; it’s official switchover is scheduled for March 11. Dielectric also provided a system that would support a large power increase, nearly triple the station’s previous TPO—50,000 to 149,000 Watts—according to Dielectric.

Installation took place in November, with WMEA purchasing Dielectric’s TLP-12E side-mounted auxiliary antenna, which will serve as a temporary Channel 45 up to March 11. Dielectric worked with WMEA-DT to design an antenna system that used its same directional pattern on a different frequency.

As of the March 11 transition, WMEA will operate from a Dielectric TFU Series UHF end-fed antenna, with vertical polarization. When installed the antenna was connected to an existing Dielectric digiTLine rigid transmission line that will be re-usable for Channel 36. The stations also installed a new Dielectric mask filter and a new transmitter.

In addition, the TFU antenna is equipped with a non-pressurized, protective radome to deal with the weather elements.

For more information on the repack, visit TV Technology's repack silo.

BURLINGTON, Vt.—A fire struck an antenna of a broadcast tower in Vermont last week, impacting the over-the-air broadcasts of WCAX-TV and WPTZ-TV in the area. Nearly a week later, and using a temporary antenna, service has been returned to 98% of providers in the market, according to WCAX Vice President and General Manager Jay Barton.

As of last Friday, WCAX, which owns the tower, and WPTZ had recordings or online posts that indicated that over-the-air service was not available in many cases, though instructed that the channels’ programming was available through other methods.

Barton provided an update to TV Technology on the status of the repairs and the stations’ service.

As initially reported, no injuries occurred as a result of the fire and no cause of fire has been determined; Barton said priority is to return service and any inspection will have to be completed when the antenna is removed from the tower. There was no additional damage to the tower from the fire, as the fire was contained to the antenna.

WCAX and WPTZ elected to ignore the damage antenna and rather build a temporary antenna, with that process currently underway.

The total over-the-air presence was impacted from the fire, which also impacted cable operators who use the OTA signal as their primary source. While the goal is have complete over-the-air service back as quickly as possible, Barton said they have been working with provider partners to create alternate connections through fiber and other protected direct connections to get the signal back to the headend or uplinks.

According to Barton, 80% of providers had service back within 24 hours, 95% in 48 hours and over the weekend that number reached 98%.

“The entire process has been an exercise in cooperation,” said Barton. “WCAX and WPTZ have been transparent and cooperative with each other, our engineers have been working side by side through this challenge, our corporate teams from Hearst and Gray immediately leapt into action and have worked as a team since the first hour of this problem. Our local TV broadcast community, Vermont PBS, Nexstar Broadcasting’s WFFF and Mission Broadcasting’s WVNY have opened their facilities to us to access immediate reconnections to many cable and satellite providers, and their teams have gone out of their way to help our teams get our stations back on those providers.

“I am so impressed by the total, unreserved assistance we are giving each other,” Barton continued. “We all have good relationships locally and would expect a positive experience in the broadcast community in a time of need, but this has been extraordinary. I can’t say enough how positive the cooperation across all of the TV stations has been.”

Because of weather, Barton said that the timeline is still fluid as for getting over-the-air services totally back up, but expects it to be completed in a matter of days, assuming there are no additional surprises.

UPDATE: WCAX and WPTZ have begun working more with Nexstar and Mission's WFFF and WVNY, according to Barton, which has allowed for them to mount the temporary antenna onto their own tower. The change in plan took place because of rime ice that built up over several nights this week.

Collaborating with Gray, Hearst and now Nexstar, Barton doesn't know if this kind of mutual cooperation is "unprecedented, but it is certainly impressive."

"In my mind, it is this type of mutual support that makes local broadcasting distinctly different than any other field—first and foremost, we are committed to our communities and public service, and this type of cooperation between broadcasters is a might example of that commitment," said Barton.

There is still no official word on when the stations are expected to be fully back on-air.

Also, according to WCAX's website, construction or repair on a permanent antenna will begin in late spring 2020.

UPDATE 12/3: WCAX General Manager Jay Barton says that WCAX is fully back on-air after the installation of the temporary antenna on Dec. 1.

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—Last month, as the latest phase of the television broadcast spectrum repack was wrapping up, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai advised the Senate Financial Services Subcommittee that all was going well and “on schedule.”

“We want to make sure it is a smooth transition for everybody,” he said. “And thus far it is.”

However, a number of those within the industry—engineering consultants, station groups, tower contractors—have a somewhat different take on things.

“The wheels are coming off the repack,” declared Bill Meintel, principle of the Meintel, Sgrignoli, & Wallace firm, in reflecting on his experience with some of his television clients and the repack statistical homework he’s done.

REPACK GETS ‘C’ GRADE AT BEST

In examining the numbers of channel transitions fully completed during the first five phases of the repack, Meintel determined that only about 73% of the stations had fully met their objective of moving to a new channel with coverage equal to what they provided with their pre-repack facilities.

As defined by Meintel, a fully successful repack means that a station met its repack deadline fully, is licensed according to the terms of its construction permit, and is providing service comparable to what was offered on its original channel prior to the repack—in other words, no STAs.

In compiling his repack “score,” Meintel said that he drew on a number of resources, determining that at the end of Phase 5 (which was officially concluded on Sept. 19), a total of 528 stations should have been operating on their new channel assignments. However, based on data available in late September, only 388 stations—just 73.5%—had completely finished repacking activities. He observed too, that out of the 984 stations identified as repack candidates, 496 of these were assigned to Phases 6 through 10.

(It should be noted that this article was compiled at the time Phase 6 was ending, and complete data was not available for determining the exact number of stations that were fully transitioned in that phase. However, based on Meintel’s numbers for Phases 5 and earlier, “fully successful” transitions ranged from a low of 45.6 % to a high of 92.5% in those phases, so it’s doubtful that all of the 126 stations assigned to Phase 6 were fully transitioned. Based on Meintel’s numbers for phases five and earlier, it would appear that nearly two-thirds [60.6%] of the overall repack work will have to be completed within the remaining nine months or so in order to make the July 3, 2020, deadline.)

Meintel observed that at the completion of Phase 5, only about 39.4%— perhaps less—of stations being repacked had completely wrapped up their channel moving exercises.

“At 30 months into the schedule, this averages out to 12.9 stations repacked per month,” he said. “At this rate, it will take another 46.2 months [almost four years] to complete the repack. The repack is well behind schedule.”

Meintel is not alone in his belief that progress on the repack has slipped considerably.

“I don’t expect it to be fully completed by deadline—maybe 80%,” said Stephen Lockwood, a senior engineer and partner of the Seattle-based consulting firm of Hatfield and Dawson. “Scheduling problems and the other things that we’ve talked about over the years are serious bottlenecks. Also, a number of entities have not planned appropriately, considering the limited availability of tower crews, qualified personnel to do antenna testing—once they’re in place, structural engineers to work out tower modifications, and even the manufacturing end of things for such things as transmission line.”

John Hidle, a consulting engineer with the Virginia-based Carl T. Jones consulting firm agrees.

“It’s going very slowly,” said Hidle. “A number of the stations we represent are typically making the transition with temporary facilities. We’ve been pretty much able to keep up in Phase 6 with about 40 % of them making the transition. The remaining 60% have been working furiously to put up temporary antennas.”

Hidle said that his firm is working with about 100 stations spread across various phases of the repack, and that the end-point shortfall number predicted by Meintel is likely correct. And as with others interviewed for this article, Hidle identifies the root of the problem as an FCC goal that was way too ambitious; a position that most in the industry voiced when the 36-month construction timetable was announced.

“There are just not enough qualified people,” he said. “A factory can only make so many antennas, and I’ve been told that the two major ones are running at least two shifts every day of the week to keep up with the demand. But people get tired; I’m tired. Everybody is trying their best. Nobody is slacking off. It’s a matter of just how much people can do in a given amount of time.”

SOMETIMES THINGS JUST HAPPEN

And it’s not just delivery of antennas, transmission lines and new transmitters that are factoring into schedule slippage. Accidents happen, humans make mistakes, weather is not always perfect.

Pete Sockett, director of engineering and operations at Raleigh-Durham’s WRAL-TV, related a critical industry shortage that impacted his station’s repack plans.

“We’re behind the repack curve too,” said Sockett. “We converted in Phase 5 and had planned a helicopter lift in October for our two stations and the three others on our tower to replace our top-mounted antennas. However, there’s a shortage of helicopter crews, which disrupted our planning, and now has delayed things until early in 2020. We’re operating with an STA for a temporary side-mount antenna until then.”

Lockwood also cited delays caused by lack of qualified crews to do antenna testing and measurements once a new radiator is in place, and noted that on several occasions his firm has been called in at the last minute to do this because manufacturers’ crews weren’t available.

Harvey Arnold, corporate vice president of engineering for Sinclair Broadcast Group, is overseeing the reworking of facilities for some 100 stations—or about half of the Sinclair television properties— and has seen even the most carefully planned transition schedules fall by the wayside due to unforeseen or unintended difficulties.

“Wind, rain and ice can cause delays, but in our experience, it’s primarily been the wind,” Arnold said. “We’ve had situations where it’s a beautiful day on the ground, but at 1,000 or 1,500, feet up, the wind is blowing so hard crews can’t work. We would schedule a job for two or three weeks and it would take six months. It doesn’t always happen like that, but that’s where schedules can really get delayed and our tower projects get backed up.”

There are many other reasons for unplanned delays. Arnold observed that one of these surfaced at an Oregon antenna site common to several broadcast operations.

“Two stations were being repacked and one was not,” he said. “We found that the antenna we’d planned to use for this site wouldn’t work properly at the lower channel frequency and we had to order a whole new antenna. Replacing the antenna was one issue; finding a tower crew when we needed it was another.

“When you’re dealing with these ‘community’ systems,’ things can take much longer,” Arnold added. “Having to work around FM stations that use the same tower can be tricky, as some have to be shut down when working near these FM antennas. Another issue can arise when you’re combining very high-power transmitters into a single antenna and you have arcing and other problems that weren’t discovered at the factory, as they couldn’t do testing at full-power conditions.”

Arnold related other unplanned situations that resulted in lost time, including misplaced or lost structural drawings in situations where tower modifications were necessary.

“Every call sign is different,” he said, referring to the numerous stations Sinclair has acquired. “I wish we had greenfield sites, but every one was an existing site, and most all have had modifications. It’s pretty complicated. We had an early repack job in Toledo which we found was going to require about half of the tower to be taken down and rebuilt.”

Arnold says they couldn’t wait and and elected to go on the air with lower power and a temporary antenna.

“Needless to say, our coverage was impacted, but we did make the transition date,” he said. ”We have a few markets that are operating at significantly reduced service until we can complete the required tower work.”

LESS THAN OPTIMUM

Sinclair currently has 26 stations operating with STAs, according to Arnold.

“We had five past STAs that have now been cleared for full power,” he said. “So far, that’s a total of 31 stations with STAs. I don’t have an actual count, but hundreds of STAs have been issued for lower power operation so far. You can look at the FCC records.

“We’ve had to go with side-mount antennas and low-power transmitters—five kW—at some sites. I’m sure that we, and other broadcasters, never envisioned temporary antenna systems going on for very long, but here we are.”

And such reduced power operations have inevitably resulted in a loss of service to viewing audiences.

“Many people are viewing over-the-air television, and we’re getting a lot of calls and complaints from the viewers now because of the low-power situation,” said Arnold. “But what can you do? We work hard to provide good over-the-air service. It’s frustrating when we’re not able to reach our viewers.”

Others mirrored Arnold’s comments about operating with less than optimal facilities in order to make the tight channel clearing deadlines.

Bill Harland, vice president of marketing at ERI, a company that manufactures antennas and handles tower work, also acknowledges that stopgap measures are part of the repack landscape.

“We believe the spectrum to be cleared will be cleared by the July 2020 deadline,” he said. “[However] some television stations may not be operating with their fully authorized facilities.”

Brady Dreasler, director of television engineering at Quincy Media, Inc. (QMI), which has stations in multiple U.S. markets, reported that although his company has now cleared the Phase 0, 1, 2, 6 deadline hurdles with only a single station operating with FCC special temporary authorization, that may not be the case as the repack moves into its final months.

“For our remaining stations in Phases 7, 9, and 10, we’ll likely be utilizing STA’s for some time,” he said.

‘NEVER TIME TO DO IT RIGHT; ALWAYS TIME TO DO IT OVER’

The temporary facility aspect of the 2017-2020 repack is a common theme among those interviewed for this article, with all bemoaning the fact that many transitions were having to be done on a temporary basis with a lot more work ahead. When July 3, 2020 rolls around, crews will have to go back and turn temporary substandard facilities into the permanent ones specified under the terms of the station’s CP and license.

“A lot of time and effort is being expended in putting up temporary facilities when we could be completing facilities,” said Hidle. “It’s a matter of ‘oh my God,’ we have to get on the new channel and we have to do something to get to the new channel and then live with this until we can get back to it. The stations that we’re working with are all absolutely serious about getting on their new channels in time. The FCC is pushing this hard and is granting STAs right and left just to say the stations have moved to their new channels.”

“We’re going to have to take some time after the deadline has passed and go back and rework some of the sites as originally planned,” said Arnold. “I know we’ll have to go back and rework more than 25 stations, and we’re probably going to be well into 2021 before it’s all done.”

Dreasler pointed out that work remaining to be performed at QMI’s “completed” sites include two transmission facilities that were awaiting the return of tower crews to raise auxiliary/ interim antennas to the proper height, installation of transmission line switches, completion of HVAC work, as well as repairs to site parking lots that were damaged during tower modification or construction work.

He said that the push of the repack had also left a number of transmission facility maintenance and repair operations on hold, including tower inspections, lighting system replacement, coating of guy wires, tower painting, repairs to radomes, and replacement of microwave dish antennas, or in some cases, new microwave link installations.

Dreasler said too that there were continuing issues involving stations that weren’t repacking, but which operated on a common tower where others were repacking, and are now having to transmit with their licensed auxiliary facilities at reduced power levels.

“We have excellent vendors,” he said. “But they can only do so much. I don’t see the tower crews catching up until late 2021.”

Meintel opined that he had no reason to believe that the repack pace would pick up during its final phases.

“The handicapping factor has not changed,” he said. “There were never enough resources to meet the demand. While I believe that all 984 stations affected by the repack will be operating on new channels by July 3, 2020, a significant number will likely be providing inferior service caused by this completely unrealistic buildout schedule.”

Hidle shared Meintel’s pessimism.

“I do not believe the whole transition will be done by next July,” he said. “Even though all repacked stations might have migrated to their new channels and met the phase deadlines, it’s likely going to take at least another year-and-a-half for these stations to fully complete their authorized permanent facilities.

“There is only so much people can do,” he added. “It’s now the middle of October and the repack is supposed to be all finished by next July—nine months. You can have a baby in nine months, but I don’t think the repack can be finished in nine months.”

The FCC has issued a response to these claims.

For more information on the repack, visit TV Technology's repack silo.

RAYMOND, Maine—As San Francisco DTV broadcasters KGO-TV and KRON-TV prepare for their repack, they will be getting an update to their antenna courtesy of a newly designed THV series directional pylon antenna from Dielectric. The stacked antenna array will be installed atop Sutro Tower in San Francisco later this year.

As Dielectric customizes its THV series of antennas for its customers, the company cited specific challenges with this latest model due to the strict earthquake code antennas must comply with in the San Francisco Bay area, as well as other environmental considerations and the ability to support antennas for both stations.

“These design considerations called for a grade of steel that is much thicker and stronger than that which is customary for antenna construction,” said Keith Pelletier, vice president and general manager at Dielectric. “By design, the stack will be cable of handling the extra weight, and compliant with all earthquake restrictions.”

Pelletier says that a third-party structural engineering firm is currently reviewing the design to ensure it meets the earthquake code. If approved, the antenna array will be constructed during the second quarter of 2019.

For the installation, the stacked antenna array will be affixed to one of Sutro Tower’s three “candelabra” arms, reinforced with guy wires in accordance with the earthquake code, a unique feature for the Sutro Tower. The antennas feature slotted coaxial designs to avoid possible interference between antennas. It also features a low windload and an auxiliary antenna (TLSV series) to ensure no off-air time during the repack process.

“Since KGO is already operating in the VHF band, we will install an auxiliary antenna lower down on the tower that allows them to operate on channel 7,” Pelletier said. “That frees up the tower top and allows us to install KRON and KGO new antennas on top of the tower and allows KGO to remain on air. Once that’s completed, KGO can move to its permanent antenna on top and Sutro Tower will remain outfitted with an auxiliary VHF antenna.”

Sutro Tower is scheduled to be repacked during phase nine. KGO-TV will be repacked from channel 7 to channel 12, while KRON-TV will go from UHF channel 38 to the vacated channel 7.

Dielectric will showcase its VHF antennas, including the THV series, at the 2019 NAB Show.

For all the latest news and insight on the repack, visit our repack silo.

RAYMOND, MAINE—Dielectric today announced it has received an order for its 500th antenna for the ongoing FCC-mandated repack of TV spectrum.

KSHV-DT, a Nexstar Media Group-owned station serving Shreveport, La., will install its new TUA-P4-4/10H-1 SM broadband, side-mount auxiliary antenna in Q1 2019, Dielectric said.

The station, part of Phase 2 in the FCC repack schedule, can use the antenna on its existing channel and for its future UHF channel assignment.

“Since reaching our 500th antenna milestone with long-time customer Nexstar, we’ve taken at least 42 more orders for spectrum repack arrays, and we’re shipping about 100 antenna systems per quarter. Business is moving at a fast and furious pace,” said Dielectric Vice President of Sales Jay Martin.

KSHV-DT’s new antenna will transition the station from channel 44 to its new assignment on channel 16 when the antenna array is in place, the company said.

Dielectric designed the antenna to radiate in a unique, directional, peanut-shaped pattern optimized for coverage of Shreveport and Texarkana, Texas and Ark., it added.

Dielectric opened a second, repack-focused production facility in December 2017 to accommodate the influx of repack business.

While the new capacity has helped the company meet the aggressive deadlines of its customers affected by the repack, a shortage of tower crews for antenna installation remains, said Martin.

“There is a serious shortage of qualified crews to work on complex installations on tall towers that will likely cause an installation bottleneck in the field, perhaps even before the end of 2018,” he said.

The Dielectric TFU-WB antenna and Powerlite series side-mounted designs can be installed more quickly, offering broadcasters that run the risk of missing their phase deadline a way to meet the schedule, he added.

More information is available on the Dielectric website.

For all the latest news and insight on the repack, visit our repack silo.

The monthly Comcast bill arrived earlier this month and it was $28 higher with no services added. Time to cut the cable, the TV cable anyway.

The first task had nothing to do with technology, TV shows or saving money. It was convincing my spouse that cutting the cable was a good idea. After some gentle persuasion, she consented.

The next step was purchasing two Rokus for streaming. They installed easily and without a hassle. I also subscribed to DirectTV Now, which I mistakenly thought would give me unlimited live network TV, but I later discovered that’s not always the case. Irritatingly, networks and other content providers often make you jump through activation hoops the more you watch. Worse, we could not get full or live PBS programming.

So it was back to the future with over-the-air TV (OTA) using an antenna or what we Boomers used to call an aerial. I acquired a ClearStream FUSION Amplified UHF/VH HDTV outdoor antenna with a 60 mile range from AntennasDirect.com, the go-to people for antennas and advice about how to install them. The company provides a great video about to install it EXCEPT they omit talking about grounding the unit. More on that later.

The $100 unit (full disclosure: I acquired mine as a review unit through TVtechnology.com editor Tom Butts) is well built and easy to set up. Running a new coaxial cable is the biggest chore, but if you’re lucky with your antenna location, you can use existing cables installed by the cable provider. Higher is better for reception, which AntennasDirect can help customers with based on the location of area TV towers relative to your address.

I chose to run a new cable given the location of the unit on my roof. So drilling through a wall and running the cable outside and up to the antenna and around a couple of corners was the biggest chore. I pulled in 16 channels after running the required scan on my TV. The pictures are crisp and clear except NBC cuts out a good deal of the time.

Then I realized I had to install a ground on the mast and the cable. But with a house sitting on ledge next to a river in Maine, there was no way I could sink an 8-foot rod into the ground nor did I want the 10 gauge uninsulated ground wire dangling down the side of house beneath the antenna.

So I took the antenna off the roof and moved it into my attic, an atrociously hot, dangerous and dirty place to work accessible only by hatch. I hoped putting the antenna a dozen feet higher from the rooftop location would compensate for moving the antenna indoors. Indeed, the attic location picked up 16 digital TV channels including the three major networks, Fox and PBS with some pixilation especially with NBC, but not enough to matter much.

A few caveats: my unit purports to be good for more than one TV although AntennasDirect support told me reception takes a hit with that approach. Bear in mind, they want to sell more antennas. They also told me longer cable runs (don’t go more than 100 feet) affects reception adversely.

My OTA journey has been a success given from what I’ve learned and the satisfaction from cutting the TV cable. I also saved $100 a month in process, but still am beholden to Comcast for Internet. OTA and streaming are still somewhat of an adventure, but clearly are the future if not the present.

John Dodge is a freelance journalist living in West Newbury, Mass. 

DALLAS—With the decrease of pay-TV subscriptions and the increase in OTT video subscriptions, people are able to find different ways to get the content they want, and one way appears to be digital antennas. According to a report from Parks Associates, “360 View: Access and Entertainment Services in U.S. Broadband Households,” by the end of 2017, 20 percent of U.S. broadband households used digital antennas, up 16 percent from 2015.

“Increasingly, consumers are cobbling together their own bundles of content sources,” said Brett Sappington, senior director of research at Park Associates. “Digital antennas are experiencing a resurgence as consumers consider over-the-air TV and OTT video services as alternatives to pay TV. The percentage of ‘Never’ households (households that have never subscribed to pay-TV services) has held steady and the percentage of households actually cutting the cord has increased between 2015 and 2017. Antennas are affordable source for local channels to these households.”

[Making Over-the-Air TV Cool Again]

Parks Associates findings show that the high cost and a low price/value perception are key reasons for people canceling their pay-TV services and bundle shavings, with more than 50 percent of homes that have cut the cable citing the service is “not worth the cost.”

There are opportunities, per Parks Associates, to improve this perception. The report found that 46 percent of pay-TV subscribers are aware they have access to on-demand content. Many also indicate they want to purchase online video services through their pay-TV provider and to access through their channel guide.

Additional findings from the report showed that 63 percent of subscribers who can’t current restart programs from the beginning find the feature appealing; 17 percent of consumers who cancel their pay-TV service would have stayed with their provider if there were no monthly fees for set-top boxes; average fees for standalone broadband have increased nearly 25 percent since 2010; and 20 percent of Wi-Fi homes experience problems with coverage in their home.

See the full report here.

ST. LOUIS—Antennas Direct is enabling its customers to go wireless with the release of a pair of new products. The ClearStream Flex wireless TV antenna and ClearStream Eclipse wireless TV antenna will enable users to watch local, network programs on their smartphone, tablet and streaming media player, per Antennas Direct’s official announcement.

The company is billing these products as the start of a new product category for the TV antenna market, providing wireless broadcast TV viewing. In addition to assisting with wireless broadcasts on mobile devices, the new antennas feature software upgrades that include Recording and Set-A-Reminder features, the latter of which alerts viewers in advance of TV shows when connected to the internet or not. The free ClearStream TV app and program guide, as well as Wi-Fi setup, are also part of the package.

The ClearStream Flex and Eclipse antennas connect through a home Wi-Fi network to combine live, local broadcast TV with a smartphone, tablet or streaming media player. The antennas are compatible with Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Stick, Kindle and iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.

Antennas Direct is selling the ClearStream Flex for $119.99 and the ClearStream Eclipse for $99.99.

ST. LOUIS—It’s an antenna. It’s a wall frame. It’s both, according to Antennas Direct. The company has unveiled its new ClearStream View wall frame amplified indoor HDTV antenna that it plans to launch in the coming days.

The ClearStream View antenna features loop technology for advanced signal reception with a 50-plus mile range and is multi-directional for both UHF and VHF. The antenna also has a 20dB in-line USB amplifier system that provides added range and maximum signal reception, per the company. The frame comes with a collage mat that can display up to nine custom photos, measures 14.25x18.75-inches, slide-locks, a built-in keyhole to hang in a horizontal position.

The ClearStream View antenna will be available on Dec. 15.

RAYMOND, MAINE—Antenna maker Dielectric today announced the first two of nine new antennas for Quincy Media Inc. will be delivered to the broadcast group’s KTIV in Sioux City, Iowa, and WXOW in La Crosse, Wis., in spring 2018.

The stations are part of the first two phases of the Federal Communication Commission’s repack of TV spectrum. Both KTIV (channel 14) and WXOW (channel 28) will take delivery of Dielectric TFU-WB UHF broadband pylon arrays.

The nine QMI station deal includes a mix of UHF and VHF antennas, filters and transmission line customized for each station, according to a Dielectric announcement. The deal also covers primary and interim antennas needed to complete repack work.

“We have all of our primary and interim antenna designs for Phase One and Two ready to go and are now turning our attention to the later phases,” said QMI corporate director of engineering Brady Dreasler.

With KTIV and WXOW in the first two phases, the station group needed a relatively fast turnaround, and the experience of the station group with Dielectric over the years gave it the confidence to award the company the contract, he added.

Brady Dreasler

Using the Dielectric Antenna Systems Planning software program, Dreasler with the assistance of Dielectric global OEM sales manager Cory Edwards, designed the new side- and top-mounted high-power antennas for each station, a press release from the company said.

KTIV is moving from channel 46 to 14, which Dreasler described as “a remarkable difference in RF spectrum.” Achieving the same antenna gain required the new antenna to be longer than the original, which translated into additional weight, he said.

With the assistance of Dielectric, QMI has been able to minimize the work needed for the existing tower by “achieving the right combination of size and weight,” said Dreasler.

Most of the antenna arrays QMI will deploy have been designed with elliptical polarization to improve ATSC 1.0 performance and to prepare the stations for an ATSC 3.0 future.

To make the switch from old to new channel assignments easier, QMI is acquiring compact, high-efficiency band-tunable filters from Dielectric. Doing so, will allow stations to operate on their pre-transition channel assignments and retune to their new repack channel assignments when new antennas are installed, Dielectric said.

For more information on the repack, visit TV Technology's repack silo.

LUGANO, SWITZERLAND—DAC System SA has gotten its foot in the door in the U.S. market after an installation of one of its antennas. With the help of Dielectric, DAC installed its DAC monitoring device at the WGME tower in Raymond, Maine.

Outdoor Sensor installed at the top of the tower

Mounted at a 500m tower elevation on the outer conductor of the 6 1/8-inch rigid line, the DAC system is measuring the power and VSWR at the bottom and top of the antenna. This in-line monitoring gives the operator a complete snapshot of the RF system.

The monitoring system detects any degradation of the system performance and prevents complete system failures or damage through overheating of the rigid line. If an issue occurs, operators are notified by email, SMS or push app.

The DAC system enables the operator to monitor RF system with up to 250 monitoring points per site. It can monitor temperature, VSWR/RL and power in indoor and outdoor applications.

PLANO, TEXAS—Communications & Power Industries’ (CPI) ASC Signal Division has been tapped by Roberts Communications Network to provide seven satellite antenna systems for its new teleport in Las Vegas.

The ASC Signal Division will provide Roberts with three 9.3 meter C-band systems, as well as four 7.6 meter Ku- and C-band systems, all of which feature four-port feeds. Roberts is also utilizing CPI’s Satcom & Medical Products Division for satellite communication amplifiers.

Roberts Communications is a Las Vegas-based provider of satellite and terrestrial communications services. It will make its new teleport live as of Nov. 1.

RAYMOND, MAINE—In preparation for the U.S. DTV spectrum repack that is on the horizon, American Tower Corporation recently completed a purchase for $3.9 million worth of Dielectric TFU-WB broadband, side-mount antennas. This will help create an inventory of broadband antennas for broadcasters who may need to deploy new transmission equipment as part of their new channel assignment.

The TFU-WB antenna from Dielectric is a side-mount UHF broadband pylon-type antenna that is both ATSC 3.0 and DVB-T2 ready. Dielectric claims that the TFU-WB also offers 75 percent less windload and lower overall weight than the UHF panel antennas. With a high power input, it can reportedly handle multiple stations transmission at once.

American Tower’s order includes three runs of 1,500-foot 6-inch transmission line, as well as eight runs of 1,500-foot 8-inch transmission line that will be used in conjunction with the transitional antennas.

The spectrum repack is expected to begin in the second quarter of this year.

DALLAS—While we’re certainly no longer in the days where people had a pair of rabbit ears on top of their TV sets, the use of antennas are making a little bit of a comeback according to a recent report from Parks Associates. As a result of the cord-cutting trend and the decline of pay-TV subscriptions, the “360 View: Entertainment Services in U.S. Broadband Households” report shows there has been an increase in antenna-only homes to a total of 15 percent.

The number of antenna-only homes has been on the rise since Q3 2013 while pay-TV subscriptions have dropped each year since 2014; pay-TV subscriptions sat at 81 percent as of Q3 2016. Since Q3 2013, the number of homes that only use an antenna for their TV service has nearly doubled.

However, the reemergence of antennas is not the only factor affected or influencing the decline of pay-TV subscriptions. OTT service continues to be a major factor in the decline of pay-TV services. According to Parks Associates’ “OTT Video Market Tracker,” 63 percent of U.S. broadband households subscribe to at least one OTT service, while 31 percent subscribe to multiple.

Additional findings from the recent “360 View” report include how twice as many subscribers (12 percent) downgraded their pay-TV service to those who upgraded (6 percent); the likelihood of non-subscribers adopting pay-TV has declinded since 2012; only 2 percent of those classified as “Cord Nevers” signed up for pay-TV in 2016, down from 4 percent in 2015; in addition, the size of the Cord Never contingent is increasing.

“With the continued decline of traditional pay-TV subscriptions, 2017 will be characterized by the rise of online pay-TV services,” said Brett Sappington, senior director of research for Parks Associates. “While traditional pay TV provides superior viewing quality, OTT video commonly excels in discovery, portability, and personalized user experiences. Consumers care less about the network used to deliver the content than they do about access to the content, ease of use, and convenience.”

For more information, read the full “360 View: Entertainment Services in U.S. Broadband Households” report.

NEW YORK—The Durst Organization has begun installing the first of several UHF antennas atop the spire of One World Trade Center as plans to move transmission facilities from the nearby Empire State Building—home to New York-area TV broadcasters since 9/11—get underway.

The first UHF panel, part of a 40-foot RFS antenna is being installed at One World Trade Center

The first panels of a 40-foot RFS PEP-40 UHF antenna are currently being installed at approximately 40 feet below the tip of the One WTC spire, which stands at 1,776 feet above lower Manhattan. That antenna will be joined by an RFS 662-16D CP VHF antenna immediately below, along with another UHF, the RFS PEP-96 antenna below that. The first broadcasters to use the antennas will be CBS, WNBC, Telemundo’s WNJU and PBS, according to John Lyons, director of broadcast communication for Durst, which co-developed 1 WTC with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, who added that transmission facilities should be ready in time for full operations by next May.

“We’re still building the transmission line from the antennas down. Putting the combiner system in,” Lyons said. “Stations have to build their transmission facilities.”

When the antennas will be fully installed will depend mainly on the weather. The installation is being done by a composite crew of Hatzel & Bueler Electrical Co. and Skyline Tower.

When the new transmitters are switched on, viewers will notice improved reception but the range will most likely not be extended much beyond what it currently is now, according to Lyons.

“The way the rules are written, the higher you go, you have to lower your power to compensate for it, so you stay on the same curve,” he said. “So I expect the distance to maybe be a little bit further but probably comparable to what’s out there now.”

Lyons noted the unique nature of the project, with the challenge of installing new antennas on the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. “We were starting from zero actually, building the broadcast floor, putting in an emergency generating plant, and it was just starting from scratch with a spire that was designed to be an architectural spire regardless of whether there was going to be antennas on it or not.” 

See also: Broadcasters to Return to One World Trade Center

RAYMOND, MAINE—Dielectric has announced that it recently installed a TFU Series UHF antenna, as well as a digiTLine rigid transmission line system to UHF DTV Channel 18 in Panama City, Fla. DTVPros helped facilitate that sale.

The side-mount, elliptically polarized, directional antenna was engineered to service Channel 18 with approximately 50 kW of input power. The antenna system also minimizes wind-load resistance, which was a factor because the tower location were the antenna was installed can see wind speeds up to 130mph.

In addition, DTVPros signed agreements with TV stations in California, North Dakota and Wisconsin for the installation of Dielectric Powerlite systems. Complete with an antenna, flex transmission line and filtering, the Powerlite series represent low-power VHF and UHF systems.

Dielectric is a developer of antennas and RF systems for TV and radio. DTVPros is a full service buyer’s agent that specializes in RF system planning and selection.

HAWAII—The looming repack and stations' aging transmitter plants had broadcast engineers taking a fresh look at transmitters and other RF gear at NAB 2016. Fortunately, they had a lot to see!

TRANSMITTERS

Comark was back in the Central Hall location it shared with Thales in the early days of ATSC 1. I remember Comark displaying UHF IOT transmitter cabinets there. This year, Hitachi-Comark's new solid-state Doherty transmitter, which is capable of generating the same power as one of those turn-of-the-century tube monsters, was easy to miss in its prime spot in the Hitachi exhibit as it occupied only one 30-inch cabinet. A 100 kW transmitter would take only four racks!

The Hitachi-Comark PARALLAX uses the latest NXP/Ampleon transistors in a Doherty configuration. Comark claims efficiency around 45 percent across UHF channels 14–36. The amplifier can be configured to operate on higher channels for export or for those unlucky stations ending up in the wireless band. The bandwidth choice is a good compromise between making the amplifier completely broadband and maximizing efficiency. The amplifiers are water-cooled, with the coolant isolated from the aluminum heat sinks so that standard copper plumbing can be used without worrying about copper ions degrading the aluminum.

Photo 1: Inside the Hitachi-Comark PARALLAX

One nice feature of the transmitter is that the amplifier combining system is flexible enough to allow adding amplifiers if additional power is needed in the future. While the combiners would have to be changed, it looks like it could be done if the plumbing and wiring was in place. You can see the combiners in view of the rear of the transmitter in Photo 1. The amplifiers are powered by the same air-cooled, high-efficiency plug in GE power supplies that GatesAir selected for its solid state transmitters.

The PARALLAX shown included EXACT exciters designed by TeamCast exciters that are ATSC 3.0 ready. Jack McAnulty told me that Comark plans to have a complete transmitter up and running at the factory in October so that attendees of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Symposium in Hartford, Conn. can visit the factory and see for themselves how the transmitter performs.

Comark's new transmitter will be competing against established high-power solid-state transmitters from GatesAir and Rohde & Schwarz. Both companies were showing their transmitters at NAB and describing their ATSC 3.0 capability while touting recent sales and installations.

Rohde & Schwarz has upgraded the amplifiers in its THU9 series transmitters. While equipped with the same NXP/Ampleon transistors as the older amplifiers, Rohde & Schwarz has improved the design of the amplifier and cooling to allow the amplifiers to be used at higher ATSC (single carrier) power. A six-rack THU9 transmitter can now provide up to 108 kW ATSC power (pre-filter).

GatesAir introduced two higher power air-cooled transmitters—the UAXT-12 (10.8 kW) and UAXT-16 (14.4 kW). If sufficient air is available, these transmitters will greatly simplify installation by not requiring plumbing to outdoor heat exchangers. Combining one of these transmitters with a tunable mask filter could make for a very flexible and almost “plug and play” transmitter installation.

FILTERS & RF COMPONENTS

All TV transmitters require “mask” filters that are tuned to the channel being transmitted and reduce emissions outside the channel to FCC limits. Much of the interest in antennas and RF filters is driven by the repack, but smart buyers will be also be making sure the filters will work after they switch to ATSC 3.0. ATSC 3.0's OFDM modulation can occupy more of the channel and has a higher peak-to-average power.

For the repack, stations may decide to install an “interim” transmitter on their existing channel to use while the main transmitter (and antenna) is being switched to the new channel. In such cases, having a tunable mask filter will allow the interim transmitter to be used as a backup on the new channel after the repack is complete. Stations may also have the option of selecting a different channel than the one they were assigned in the repack, if they can meet FCC coverage and interference requirements. A tunable mask filter is useful if a future channel change is anticipated.

I didn't expect to see any radical new filter designs at NAB and wasn't surprised, although I didn't have time to visit every exhibit. The major improvements promoted were less insertion loss, easier tuning, and increased power handling capability.

ERI introduced a higher-power model of its UF tunable UHF mask filter. It is now available for operation up to 20 kW (liquid cooled). For VHF, ERI's new VF-H8600 combiner allows two high-band VHF stations to share a single antenna provided they are at least four channels apart.

Dielectric offered air tunable UHF filters capable of handling up to 50 kW air cooled or 30 kW convection cooled.

RFS tunable UHF filters are compact and can be water cooled for operation up to 50 kW. RFS was touting its shipment of a filter/combiner system for KXAS/KXTX in Dallas and its order for the antenna/combiner system to be installed at One World Trade in New York City.

Spinner was showing a product of interest to owners of high-power broadband panel antenna systems. These systems are shared by multiple broadcasters, so detecting anomalies in the line and antennas before catastrophic failures occur is critical. Spinner showed a product that looked like a directional coupler assembly but they claimed is able to detect arcing and connector problems after the power dividers on broadband systems.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find any information on it on their web site and Spinner was not willing to reveal how it worked. Another engineer I talked to thought it may work by “listening” for arcs or other disturbances in the line. The system Spinner was showing at NAB was designed for use with 4-inch or smaller transmission line, but I don't see why it couldn't be modified for use with larger line. Based on my conversations with engineers planning high power broadband antenna installations, there is certainly interest in it!

ANTENNAS

Tower structural limits, limited availability of tower crews and equipment, possible zoning/permitting issues and limited resources for designing and manufacturing antennas may reduce broadcasters' options during the short period allowed for transitioning to the new channel. Replacing a top mount stacked slot antenna on a 2000-foot candelabra shared with other stations may be impossible in the time allowed. In such cases, alternatives include using lighter weight, easier to install, side mount antennas or moving to shared broadband antennas.

The good news is that antenna manufacturers are gearing up for the repack by adding staff and boosting manufacturing capacity and providing tools to help broadcasters and their engineers determine what antennas they will need.

ERI announced a deal with T-Mobile that it said will enable it to increase production capacity by 800 percent. ERI had a new broadband VHF panel antenna with a variety of mounting options and a choice of horizontal or circular polarization that should help stations moving to high-VHF. See http://www.eriinc.com/Resources.aspx for information useful in repack planning. I had no problem downloading and installing the ERI Broadcast System Planner V 7.20 on Linux using WINE, although it looks like the software needs to be updated to include the newer antennas.��

Dielectric showed a new lightweight UHF broadband side mount antenna, the TFU-WB, which has 75 percent less wind-load than panels. Azimuth pattern options are limited to two cardioid patterns. Elliptical polarization is available. The antenna's input power rating of up to 60 kW with 24 bays and an azimuth gain of 1.5 or 2.3 (depending on pattern) enable effective radiated power up to the 1,000 kW FCC limit, important if the antenna is mounted lower on the tower.

Dielectric introduced several planning tools, including “Your Guide to the FCC TV Channel Repack”. Dielectric's software for designing antennas is available at http://www.dielectric.com/software/. Once registered, Dielectric's DASP can be downloaded for off-line use or used online. I had no problem using the online version on my Android 5.1 tablet!

RFS presented “Future-proof Antenna Systems” at NAB, outlining some scenarios for the repack, the RF options RFS provides, and some nice photos of the antennas for One World Trade Center and the KXAS/KXTX installation in Dallas.

In this article I've mentioned only some of the more popular companies showing RF products at NAB 2016 that I had a chance to visit and only a few of their products. There are other options for transmitters, filters, and antennas that might better suit your specific needs that you shouldn't ignore.

In my next article I'll cover the ATSC 3.0 innovations at NAB 2016 and the ATSC 2016 Broadcast Television Conference. There's been an amazing amount of progress!

I welcome your comments and questions. Email me at dlung@transmitter.com.

RALEIGH, N.C.—One man’s trash is another man’s antenna. To coincide with International Recycling Day, TV antenna maker Mohu has announced it has created an HDTV antenna made from recycled cable set-top boxes and post-consumer recycled paper. Mohu says that ReLeaf was created to counteract cable byproduct and energy waste.

ReLeaf’s clamshell, which houses the components that translate TV wave signals into live TV, is made entirely from recycled plastic of discarded cable set-top boxes. According to Mohu, a pound of plastic from set-top boxes can create up to 40 ReLeaf antenna clamshells. Post-consumer recycled paper is used to create the flat portion of the antenna that catches broadcast TV waves.

In addition, ReLeaf is packaged in post-consumer recycled cardboard.

ReLeaf is now available at a price of $49.99. It is sold exclusively at releaf.gomohu.com.

LAS VEGAS—In anticipation of the conclusion of the FCC’s Broadcast Incentive Auction and expected mandated television channel changes, Electronic Research, Inc. announced at the 2016 NAB Show an agreement with T-Mobile that will see the acceleration of antenna production by what ERI describes as 800 percent.

ERI has announced that installation crews will be immediately available after the FCC issues new channel assignments to broadcasters that are either relocated within the UHF television band or relocating from UHF to VHF channels. The company says that this will accelerate the process of clearing the 600 MHz frequency band within the FCC’s 39 month repacking timeline.

“ERI will have the capacity to manufacture television antennas, transmission line, and filter systems and to have trained and equipped installation crews at the beginning of the FCC’s 39 month clearing window,” said Tom Silliman, ERI president and CEO.

In order to meet these goals, ERI has announced that it will hire and train manufacturing, test and installation personnel, and expand its manufacturing and test facilities.

RAYMOND, MAINE—Antenna and RF system provider Dielectric has unveiled its new TFU-WB Series Auxiliary UHF Antenna. The company says that its new antenna is well-suited to high-power UHF applications from channels 14 to 51, including the ATSC 3.0 standard and 4K UHD TV. The antenna features a streamlined design for side mounting on existing structures and is able to reduce wind-load by 75 percent.

The TV spectrum repack may cause TV stations to relocate their channels down to the lower end of the UHF spectrum in order to free higher UHF frequencies for wireless receivers. According to Dielectric, the WB antenna can serve as an auxiliary antenna while broadcasters’ main TV tower equipment is modified, relocated or replace during the TV spectrum repack.

For broadcasters who need to relocate, Dielectric says the WB antenna can transmit multiple, combined channels simultaneously. It comes with a rating of 20kW per eight-bay section, and when two or three sections are stacked, it can accommodate input powers of 40kW per 16-bay and 60kW per 24-bay sections.

The WB antenna can be configured horizontally or elliptically polarized, using either a directional or wide cardioid azimuth pattern. Elliptical polarization is required for next-generation applications. The directional skull shape pattern is meant to focus radiated power in one particular direction off the tower, while the wide cardioid pattern serves a hempispherical (or semicircular) coverage area.

Dielectric will showcase the WB antenna during the ATSC 3.0 demonstration from Sinclair Broadcast Group and ONE Media, as well as at its booth, C2213, at the 2016 NAB Show, which runs from April 16-21 in Las Vegas. 

PHOENIX—Nobody likes doing their taxes, but Channel Master hopes to make April 15 a little better this year, designating the annual Tax Day as Free Antenna Day. The provider of alternative TV systems has announced it will give away individual units of its FLATenna, an indoor omni-directional TV antenna capable of receiving signals from up to 35 miles, as well as provide free shipping.

Channel Master FLATenna

Starting at 8 a.m. PST on April 15, customers can visit the Channel Master website to get a free antenna. There is a limit of one per customer and the offer is good while supplies last. To learn more about the offer, the company has set up a Free Antenna Day page.

“Our purpose is to help promote awareness of free broadcast television,” said Shelly O’Connell, director of marketing communications for Channel Master. “Many Americans either don’t know what a TV antenna is or don’t realize the value that it provides. It’s a matter of education and we think celebrating Tax Day with some free antennas would be a fun way to help deliver the message.”

RAYMOND, MAINE—With the TV spectrum repack on the horizon, Dielectric has unveiled a new broadband delivery system that offers a tunable, bandwidth-efficient option to high-band VHF broadcasters. The system includes a slotted, sidemount antenna and compact RF filter that supports single- and multi-channel TV operations.

MT6E6-4K

The TLSV-BB is Dielectric’s new antenna, featuring a stripline slot design to simplify frequency tuning across the VHF band. This allows two or more broadcasters to be supported from a shared site. The antenna can also lower wind load up to 75 percent.

Dielectric’s new filter, the MT6E6-4K tunable VHF filter, allows broadcasters sharing sites or transmitting more than one VHF channel improved efficiency. The filter features a compensated resonator design that filters one or more channels through the same architecture. It also features a compact, folded design with flexible options for floor, ceiling or cabinet-mounted installations.

This new delivery system is designed for flexibility across channels 7-13, a low-power solution for UHF broadcasters transitioning to high-band VHF due to the TV spectrum repack.

Dielectric will showcase its new VHF delivery system at the upcoming 2016 NAB Show in Las Vegas from its booth, C2213.

Learn more about the post-incentive auction channel repack Tuesday, March 8, during an exclusive Webinar featuring the FCC’s Howard Symons; NAB’s Patrick McFadden and RF experts Jay Adrick and S. Merrill Weiss. Register here.

CLEARWATER, FLA.—Frontline Communications has announced that its automatic Ka/Ku-band dual feed satellite antenna system has passed initial field testing and has been approved for use on the ViaSat network. It is now pending final approval from the FCC.

The satellite antenna allows dual-band capability on the ViaSat network, which allows users to swith from Ka-band to Ku-band with a single switch function on the antenna controller from inside the vehicle. Users can select either IP delivery using the ViaSat Ka-band service or legacy DVBS delivery via their existing infrastructure. The antenna system includes a 1.2m reflector and AvL’s AAQ antenna controller, which utilizes an automatic slide mechanism to position the feed.

Frontline Communications, an Oshkosh Corporation company, is a manufacturer of broadcast and communications vehicles.

LINCOLN, NEB. – Radio Active Designs has unveiled its new TX-8 wireless system antenna combiner. Able to be used on the transmit side of the UV-1G as well as with any UHF in-ear monitoring system, the TX-8 allows the connection of up to eight UHF transmitters to one antenna. Active-linear design reduces intermodulation products to low levels to minimize interference while providing compatibility with all forms of modulation and a variety of digital forms, including FSK and MIMO.

TX-8

Individual channel indicators on the TX-8 front panel show RF activity and amplifier faults. It also has an antenna fault indicator warning of excessive antenna VSWR. Output power is selectable to 50, 100 and 250 mW, independent of input power level. In addition, the system incorporates RF power regulation for constant, pre-determined IEM and RF PL devices.

The TX-8 is housed in a steel 1RU package with a built-in power supply and has an intelligent rear-panel layout that simplifies system connections and reduces installation time.