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FCC: 123 TV Stations Can't Switch on Feb. 17
Commission provisionally denies more than 100 transition requests, but stations have until Friday to file for reinstatement
15 Min Read
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has disallowed 123 stations, on a provisional basis, from ceasing regular analog operations on Feb. 17, holding that terminating analog on that date "poses a significant risk of substantial public harm." The table below details which stations were denied the request.
Table 1: Intentions denied
City | State | Network | Call Sign | "Night Light" |
ALPENA | MI | CBS | WBKB-TV | N |
BAKERSFIELD | CA | ABC | KERO-TV | N |
BAKERSFIELD | CA | CBS | KBAK-TV | N |
BAKERSFIELD | CA | NBC | KGET-TV | N |
HARDIN | MT | FOX | KHMT | N |
BILLINGS | MT | ABC | KSVI | N |
BILLINGS | MT | CBS | KTVQ | N |
BILLINGS | MT | NBC | KULR-TV | N |
BINGHAMTON | NY | CBS | WBNG-TV | N |
BINGHAMTON | NY | FOX | WICZ-TV | N |
BINGHAMTON | NY | NBC | WIVT | N |
BLUEFIELD | WV | NBC | WVVA | Y |
BOWLING GREEN | KY | NBC | WNKY | N |
NORTH POLE | NY | NBC | WPTZ | Y |
HARTFORD | VT | NBC | WNNE | N |
BURLINGTON | VT | ABC | WVNY | N |
BURLINGTON | VT | CBS | WCAX-TV | Y |
RIVERTON | WY | FOX | KFNE | N |
LANDER | WY | CBS | KGWL-TV | N |
HUNTINGTON | WV | CBS | WOWK-TV | N |
HUNTINGTON | WV | NBC | WSAZ-TV | Y |
CHARLESTON | WV | ABC | WCHS-TV | Y |
CHARLESTON | WV | FOX | WVAH-TV | Y |
CHARLOTTESVILLE | VA | CBS | WCAV | N |
CHARLOTTESVILLE | VA | NBC, CW | WVIR-TV | N |
CHEYENNE | WY | FOX | KLWY | N |
WEST POINT | MS | FOX | WLOV-TV | N |
TUPELO | MS | NBC | WTVA | N |
DAYTON | OH | ABC | WKEF | Y |
DAYTON | OH | CBS | WHIO-TV | Y |
DAYTON | OH | FOX | WRGT-TV | Y |
DAYTON | OH | NBC | WDTN | Y |
EUGENE | OR | ABC | KEZI | N |
EUGENE | OR | CBS | KVAL-TV | N |
EUGENE | OR | FOX | KLSR-TV | N |
EUGENE | OR | NBC | KMTR | N |
COOS BAY | OR | CBS | KCBY-TV | N |
COOS BAY | OR | NBC | KMCB | N |
VALLEY CITY | ND | CBS | KXJB-TV | N |
FARGO | ND | NBC | KVLY-TV | N |
DEVILS LAKE | ND | ABC | WDAZ-TV | N |
GREENWOOD | MS | ABC | WABG-TV | Y |
GREENVILLE | MS | CBS | WXVT | N |
HARRISONBURG | VA | ABC | WHSV-TV | Y |
LA CROSSE | WI | ABC | WXOW-TV | Y |
LA CROSSE | WI | CBS | WKBT | N |
LA CROSSE | WI | FOX | WLAX | N |
EAU CLAIRE | WI | ABC | WQOW-TV | Y |
EAU CLAIRE | WI | NBC | WEAU-TV | N |
CHIPPEWA FALLS | WI | FOX | WEUX | N |
SUPERIOR | NE | FOX | KSNB-TV | N |
LINCOLN | NE | ABC | KLKN | N |
LINCOLN | NE | CBS | KOLN | N |
KEARNEY | NE | ABC | KHGI-TV | N |
HAYES CENTER | NE | ABC | KWNB-TV | N |
MADISON | WI | ABC | WKOW-TV | Y |
MADISON | WI | CBS | WISC-TV | N |
MADISON | WI | FOX | WMSN-TV | Y |
MADISON | WI | NBC | WMTV | N |
MERIDIAN | MS | ABC | WTOK-TV | N |
MERIDIAN | MS | CBS | WMDN | N |
MERIDIAN | MS | NBC | WGBC | N |
PENSACOLA | FL | ABC | WEAR-TV | Y |
MOBILE | AL | CBS | WKRG-TV | N |
MOBILE | AL | FOX | WALA-TV | Y |
MOBILE | AL | NBC | WPMI-TV | N |
WEST MONROE | LA | FOX | KARD | N |
MONROE | LA | CBS | KNOE-TV | N |
EL DORADO | AR | NBC | KTVE | N |
COLUMBIA | LA | ABC | KAQY | N |
NORTH PLATTE | NE | NBC | KNOP-TV | N |
PARKERSBURG | WV | NBC | WTAP-TV | Y |
PROVIDENCE | RI | CBS | WPRI-TV | N |
PROVIDENCE | RI | FOX | WNAC-TV | Y |
PROVIDENCE | RI | NBC | WJAR | N |
NEW BEDFORD | MA | ABC | WLNE-TV | N |
QUINCY | IL | NBC | WGEM-TV | N |
HANNIBAL | MO | CBS | KHQA-TV | N |
ROCKFORD | IL | ABC | WTVO | N |
ROCKFORD | IL | FOX | WQRF-TV | N |
ROCKFORD | IL | NBC | WREX-TV | N |
FREEPORT | IL | CBS | WIFR | N |
SALISBURY | MD | CBS AND FOX | WBOC-TV | N |
ROCK SPRINGS | WY | CBS | KGWR-TV | N |
SAN ANGELO | TX | CBS | KLST | N |
SAN ANGELO | TX | NBC | KSAN-TV | N |
SANTA MARIA | CA | CBS | KCOY-TV | Y |
SANTA BARBARA | CA | ABC | KEYT-TV | N |
SAN LUIS OBISPO | CA | NBC | KSBY | N |
SIOUX CITY | IA | ABC | KCAU-TV | N |
SIOUX CITY | IA | CBS | KMEG | N |
SIOUX CITY | IA | FOX | KPTH | N |
SIOUX CITY | IA | NBC | KTIV | Y |
FLORENCE | SD | CBS | KDLO-TV | N |
ABERDEEN | SD | ABC | KABY-TV | N |
SOUTH BEND | IN | CBS | WSBT-TV | N |
SOUTH BEND | IN | NBC | WNDU-TV | Y |
ELKHART | IN | FOX | WSJV | Y |
SPRINGFIELD | MA | NBC | WWLP | Y |
TOPEKA | KS | ABC | KTKA-TV | Y |
TOPEKA | KS | CBS | WIBW-TV | N |
TOPEKA | KS | NBC | KSNT | N |
VICTORIA | TX | ABC | KAVU-TV | N |
VICTORIA | TX | FOX | KVCT | N |
WACO | TX | ABC | KXXV | N |
WACO | TX | CBS | KWTX-TV | N |
WACO | TX | FOX | KWKT | N |
TEMPLE | TX | NBC | KCEN-TV | Y |
BRYAN | TX | FOX | KYLE | N |
WATERTOWN | NY | ABC | WWTI | N |
CARTHAGE | NY | CBS | WWNY-TV | N |
WITTENBERG | WI | FOX | WFXS | N |
WAUSAU | WI | ABC | WAOW-TV | N |
WAUSAU | WI | CBS | WSAW-TV | N |
RHINELANDER | WI | NBC | WJFW-TV | N |
EAGLE RIVER | WI | ABC | WYOW | Y |
WHEELING | WV | CBS | WTRF-TV | N |
STEUBENVILLE | OH | NBC | WTOV-TV | N |
SALINA | KS | FOX | KAAS-TV | N |
GOODLAND | KS | CBS | KBSL-TV | N |
GARDEN CITY | KS | ABC | KUPK-TV | N |
GARDEN CITY | KS | NBC | KSNG | N |
ENSIGN | KS | CBS | KBSD-TV | N |
The FCC went public with that determination Wednesday night, two days after 491 full-power stations (out of a grand total of 1,793) informed the Commission that they intended to switch from analog to digital on Feb. 17 -- the original digital transition date -- instead of waiting for up to four months under new legislation that delays the "hard" transition date to June 12. (See Stations Want to Flip Digital Switch Early.)
President Obama signed the DTV delay bill into law on Wednesday afternoon. The law intends to give consumers who rely on free, over-the-air TV signals more time to prepare for the transition.
The FCC said it developed the list by first identifying markets in which all of the stations would be terminating analog on Feb. 17. It also considered loss of "major network services," including access to local news and public affairs programming, within the larger Nielsen Designated Market Areas (DMAs).
Although the FCC has denied requests of 123 TV stations that wanted to switch on the original transition date, they can still do so if they meet a set of eight guidelines outlined by the FCC, listed in the table below.
Table 2: Eight provisions
Source: FCC |
Stations have until 6 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 13, to inform the FCC if they plan to meet those requirements and want the agency to consider reinstatement for a Feb. 17 transition.
The 368 stations that have FCC approval to switch on Feb. 17 are obligated to provide viewer notifications and continuous on-screen "crawls" before terminating regular analog service. Over 100 stations said they will support an analog "night light" for at least two weeks following the switch, providing "DTV education and emergency information, as needed."
Roughly two thirds of full-power stations intend to keep analog going after Feb. 17. Among this group, the owned and operated stations of ABC, NBC, Fox, and CBS have already informed the FCC that they intend to keep regular analog feeds on until June 12.
Some other stations are planning to terminate analog some time after Feb. 17 but before June 12. "We are evaluating whether a revised process for these stations would be warranted," the FCC said.
— Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Cable Digital News
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