VHF band not so hot for TV stations in digital era

In the past, it was always good to have your TV station on the VHF band (channels 2-13 or so) because you knew that viewers could receive a good signal. Higher channels sometimes had problems getting to TV sets.

But according to this article in TVNewsDay, the digital era we just entered has turned all of that upside down:

When the FCC handed out digital channels, it had to limit the power of VHF stations to prevent interference among stations in the more tightly packed digital broadcast band. VHF signals do propagate well and so are more likely to interfere if power is not reined in.

VHF stations have other problems that attenuate what power they do have. Because of the long wavelengths of VHF signals, they have trouble penetrating homes and apartment buildings. What's more, many committed over-the-air viewers were sold UHF-only TV antennas or all-band antennas with small, lousy VHF elements.

It all explains why viewers are calling hotlines wondering what happened to their favorite stations and why broadcasters are looking for solutions.

Stations that have experienced significant loss of viewership since the switch to digital-only broadcasting on a VHF channel have been running to the FCC for help. Some want more power; others want to move back to their old temporary UHF assignment or find a permanent home in the UHF band. READ THE REST

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