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RANT FREE EDITION
NEW PHASE ZERO IMPACT IDENTIFIED
DOES NOT SEEM LIKE CONSUMER EDUCATION FUNDING FROM THE FCC IS AVAILABLE TO DISPLACED LPTVs WHICH ARE THE ONLY TV BROADCASTER IN THEIR MARKET AREA - AND THEY HAVE AN EAS OBLIGATO!
Let's take a walk today into the Land of Oz - Kansas, that is. And let's go to the town of Liberal, on the border with Oklahoma. That's right, Liberal. Fine community indeed.
"Energy and agriculture are the main economic drivers of the area. Natural resources include oil, natural gas, water, gravel and sand. The beef industry (ranches, feed lots and packing plants) is Liberal's largest source of employment. Hard winter wheat, corn, milo, alfalfa and cotton are common crops. Trucking is a major industry. Dairies and pork processors are a growing business." Wikipedia
Now Liberal is home to about 20,000 residents. Smack dab in the middle of T-Mo's Phase Zero hype-super-fast roll-out zone of PEA's. And home to one, yes one broadcast television licensee, and an LPTV at that. KSWE-LD, is one of the five (5) LPTV station cluster that
High Plains Broadcasting, Inc., and has about 26,000 TV pops in its' coverage area
Here is there 5 station cluster, Liberal KS is the the furthest south:
The cluster has two (2) displacements from the auction. It's 44 in Garden City,
KGCE-LD; and, it's 39 in KSWE-LD.
In
Garden CIty
, KGCE-LD, there are about 26,500 residents, but its' coverage area is about 46,000 TV pops. So the two displacements combine to about 72,500 potential viewers.
FIRST "DUPLEX GAP" DISPLACEMENT REPORTED
Since these two stations are Phase Zero displacements, they have to move within 120 days of being notified, which they have been. And this is the first "duplex gap" displacement we are seeing.
Now, nothing seems to be wrong with these notifications, as T-Mobile correctly has purchased these blocks, and this PEA may soon be turned-on.
Ok, a small five (5) station group of LPTV has two (2) displaced stations. So what? With about 72,500 total TV pops affected, heck, just a block or two in the big urban areas. But out here, in beef, ag, sun, and wind, well, 72,500 people is big time.
Check out this density in Liberal KS...
and in Garden City...
Garden CIty has translators from the major network affiliates in Wichita, and Liberal does not.
So let's review da facts, and nothin but da facts:
- T-Mo's legal and rapid build-out in Phase Zero is allowable.
- One station is within T-Mo's purchased block, and the other is within the duplex gap which is needed if T-Mo turns on the PEA.
- The stations should be able to find new channels, but it is yet to be determined the coverage.
- The stations must pay for their own changes.
- One Dem bill in the House is offering relo funds, and the Senate bill is considering it, so no matter what, the licensee has to pay out of pocket upfront for any costs.
- If this temporary channel is not available after the special LPTV window, and they have to move a 2nd time, then T-Mo will financially assist in this process.
- In Liberal, with only one broadcast TV station, it is the only broadcast TV EAS service, although there are two (2) AM, and seven (7) FM stations.
QUESTIONS:
Does the FCC's Consumer education funding include LPTV at all? Is there a way to assist these communities maintain a continuity of EAS broadcast TV capability during the channel changing and rescanning process? Does T-Mo want to be thought of as the good witch or the bad witch during this process?
LET US KNOW YOUR PHASE ZERO SITUATIONS!
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