Broadcasters Want Limits on LPTV, Translator Virtual Channels

Low-power TV and TV translator virtual channel assignments and changes should be limited to avoid conflicts and confused viewers, said NAB, the Society of Broadcast Engineers and others in comments posted this week in docket 03-185. Allowing translating stations to change their program and system information protocol (PSIP) “carries a very real risk of causing viewers to think that the translator or LPTV station is the originator of the programming, when that is not the case,” said SBE. Broadcasters in the docket also discussed apparent errors in a proposed FCC method for calculating station coordinates, and restrictions on low-power television relocation.

The voluntary use of PSIP for station identification purposes should be “limited to LPTV stations that originate programming and do not operate as translators,” said NAB. LPTV and translators using virtual channels “must avoid any current or future conflicts with full power stations in the same area,” NAB said. The FCC should “apply the PSIP Standard uniformly and equitably to both full power and LPTV stations, to allow the use of any virtual channel designation that does not result in a contour overlap,” said Mountain Broadcasting.

TV translators changing their PSIP presents the risk that “viewers will believe they have lost access to a favorite channel and/or preferred program when the displayed information no longer matches their expectations,” said SBE. Mountain, SBE and NAB said the FCC should record changes to LPTV and translator virtual channel assignments in the license management system.

SBE and NAB also said FCC proposals to update the method used to determine coordinates used for calculated predicted interference may lead to inaccurate data, and broadcasters should be held harmless for any errors. The agency should use the NGS Coordinate Conversion and Transformation Tool, said the broadcast groups. “Why wouldn’t the Commission want to bake as much accuracy as possible into the conversion of critical data when it has the chance?” asked SBE.

The LPTV Broadcasters Association and SBE said the agency shouldn’t impose stricter standards for coordinate changes on LPTV and TV translators than it does for full-power stations. “Disparate procedural treatment between the services does not seem to be grounded in logic or procedural necessity,” SBE said. “LPTV Broadcasters should not be held to a higher standard as it is prejudicial to the LPTV Community,” said the LPTVBA.

LPTVBA also echoed calls (see 2210250061) from the Advanced Television Broadcasting Association for LPTV stations to be given better protection from the FCC against displacement. “Not having any permanency or protection based upon our 'regulatory status' certainly hurts investment on the part of the LPTV industry and can curtail innovation,” said the group.