PBS 45/49 set to go digital in November

September 22, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

Viewers will notice a clearer picture after the digital conversion.

KENT — The Public Broadcasting System station that serves the Mahoning Valley will become the first local television station to switch to digital broadcasting.

PBS 45/49 will cease analog broadcasting on Nov. 19 and begin broadcasting digitally on Nov. 21. It will be off-the-air between those dates.

Congress has mandated that all television broadcasters switch to a digital signal, and pull the plug on their analog signal, on Feb. 17. Almost all commercial channels — including WFMJ-21, WKBN-27 and WYTV-33 of Youngstown — are already broadcasting in both digital and analog.

PBS 45/49 didn’t have much choice in going first. Unlike the other stations in the area, it needs to install transmission equipment before the changeover to improve signal power, according to station manager Bill O’Neil. When the station attempted to hire contractors, it learned that it had a small window to get the job done because the demand from other stations had stretched the company thin.

So O’Neil decided to have the work done as soon as possible, to avoid the coming bad-weather months. The work involves installing a digital transmitter dish on a 900-foot antenna between Salem and Alliance. The new dish will be placed in the position where the current analog dish is now mounted. The station first had to get permission from the Federal Communications Commission to convert early.

Congress ordered the changeover to reorganize the airwaves to better serve federal communication needs and to meet cell-phone demand.

Digital broadcasting also provides a clearer picture because of its higher resolution, said O’Neil. “It has sharper, clearer and more vibrant colors,” he said, and allows for multiple channels. For example, PBS 45/49 already broadcasts digitally on 45.1 (the main channel) and 45.2, which will offer as-yet unscheduled specialty programming after the conversion.

Only those people who do not have cable or satellite providers, and do not have a digital television set, need to take action before the conversion. They must buy either a digital TV or a set-top converter box, which range from $50 to $90 and are available at retailers that sell electronics. A $40 coupon good toward a converter purchase is available from the U.S. government, but O’Neil advised people to apply as soon as possible because it takes several weeks to get one. Go to www.dtv2009.gov for more information and to apply. Up to two coupons are available per household. The coupons expire in 90 days.

O’Neil warned that those whose reception is fuzzy or “snowy” might need to buy a better antenna, because — unlike analog — digital broadcasting is either received at full strength or not al all. He said the early changeover of his station will give Mahoning Valley viewers an opportunity to determine whether they will need to make antenna adjustments, said O’Neil.

PBS 45/49 is already broadcasting in digital, but the signal is not strong enough. On Nov. 21, WNEO’s digital channels will sign off until Nov. 21. During this time, viewers can still tune in to the analog Channel 45 until Nov. 19, when it signs off permanently. From Nov. 19 to Nov. 21, all WNEO channels will be off-air, although subscribers to several area cable companies, including Time Warner and Armstrong, and DirecTV will be able to access the station. On Nov. 21, the digital channels will permanently return with a stronger signal and analog service will no longer be available.

PBS 45/49 maintains an analog channel, W58AM, that serves low-lying areas of the Mahoning Valley where transmission is blocked by hillsides. It will remain analog past the conversion date.

To educate viewers, PBS 45/49 is holding free presentations. The first was held last Tuesday at the Howland library. Others will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Austintown’s library, 600 S. Raccoon Road; and 6:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at Columbiana’s library, 332 N. Middle St. Registration is recommended but not required. To register, call (800) 554-4549. For general information about the conversion, call the PBS help desk at 1-877-DTV-2009 or go to pbs4549.org/dtv4pbs.

PBS 45/49 is not the first in the nation to convert. The entire Wilmington, N.C., market went digital a few weeks ago as a test market.