PORTLAND, Maine—Viewers here can now receive the NextGen TV signals of five local stations with the launch of ATSC 3.0 service from host station WPFO, which is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting Corp. 

The launch includes WMTW, the Hearst Television-owned ABC affiliate; WGME-TV, the Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned CBS affiliate, Maine Public Broadcasting’s WMEA-TV and public broadcaster (PBS) WCBB as well as WPFO, which is a Fox affiliate.

All programming of all participating stations will continue to be available over the air in the existing DTV format.

BitPath, which is developing new data broadcasting services, led the planning process and coordinated efforts across the five television stations.

More information is available on the WPFO, WMTW, WGME, Maine Public Broadcasting and WCBB websites. 

TV Tech's complete list of markets where NextGen TV signals are available can be viewed here. 

CINCINNATI—In an effort to boost reception of its over-the-air TV signal, Maine Public Broadcasting says it has integrated GatesAir Maxiva M2X exciters into all five of its transmitters. This reportedly is optimizing the broadcaster’s ATSC digital TV signal across all of its VHF and UHF systems.

The Maxiva M2X features RTAC software to provide real-time adaptive correction that improves signal quality and mast filtering to maintain FCC compliance. Using the exciters have allowed each station under the Maine Public Broadcasting banner to maintain transmitter Modulation Error Ratio and flatten signal-to-noise ratio, per the broadcaster’s Vice President and CTO, Gil Maxwell. In addition, the Maxiva M2X allows the engineering team to remotely connect to any of the five exciters from any networked location.

The Maine Public Broadcasting stations that received the Maxiva M2X exciters are WMEA-DT in Biddeford, WCBB-DT in Portland, WMEB in Bangor, WMED in Calais, and WMEM in Presque Isle.