The digital age of television is finally doing what it was designed to do. And it is happening here in Portland, Maine, for the very first time in the country. Portland, Maine, has a new TV channel and I am so excited.
WPME, Channel 35, has two digital broadcasts. The first is channel 35.1 which is their regular WPME channel. The second, allowed now by the introduction of digital television, is channel 35.2, the Maine Visitors Channel.
The first of its kind in the country, WPME has an agreement with several hotels in Portland and more are being added. WPME put converter boxes in these hotels to ensure that each television in the guest rooms would be able to receive the channel 35.2 signal. This doesn't mean you can't receive the channel. Digital broadcasts by network affiliates (in the case MyNetwork) are free and over the air. Most hotels have not installed digital TVs in all of their room, ergo the reason why WPME had to provide the converter boxes.
If you have a Digital TV with an antenna, or an Analog TV with an antenna and a converter box, you will be able to pick up this channel. I get it at my house in Springvale, about 30 or so miles from Portland. Cable TV and Satellite TV don't carry the channel so over the air is the only way to get it.
Produced in Portland, Maine, by WPME, they have designed a new network for tourists or visitors, but it can be just as valuable to Mainers themselves. They highlight everything from current events like festivals, tours, art exhibits, and even the weather forecast; all kinds of things in that genre for people looking for things to do while they are in Portland, or looking for new things to do if you already live here. I just watched a segment on Portland Head Light in Casco Bay, a great destination for visitors and locals with a great view of the bay and classic Maine vistas. It is something that I have never done in the 8 years that I have lived here. Local businesses are also highlighted.
Having separate broadcasts on the same channel (or sub-channel) from one station is part of what digital TV is all about. Most broadcast television stations around the country use their primary channel for digital, high definition programming and their sub-channel for "something else". In this case, a first of its kind, and locally produced, a local visitors network. I think it is pretty cool and WPME is a trail blazer in this respect.
Channel 8, WMTW in Portland already use their sub-channel for an endless loop of news/sports/weather updates. WMTW updates this loop several times a day.
Channel 6, WCSH, was first to use its sub-channel for 24 hour Weather Plus, an NBC owned subsidiary. Weather Plus is carried by many, or most, NBC affiliates on their respective digital sub-channels.
While both WMTW and WCSH got there first, what they did wasn't special. Producing original programming for a niche market is new and different and I respect WPME for really showing what can be done in the new age of digital television. I wish them the best of luck.
4 comments:
Hi,
This question doesn't have to directly do with this topic...but I do have a question about WGME/13.
I am interested in getting HD via Time Warner Cable. I fully understand that there will be more than one WGME channel - one in SD and one DT/HD channel.
HOWEVER, I've seen ads the past few days about their new "Doppler HD" and new "weather HD technology" that is coming soon. I was wondering - is WGME already broadcasting LOCAL NEWS in High Definition??
I called the station and spoke to some kid who didn't sound like he knew what he was talking about. He kept going over and over the concept of two channels - HD and SD channel, etc.
All I wanted to know is WGME ALREADY broadcasting local news in high def - and he said YES. I don't think they are, because normally you see the 'HD' name all over the broadcast (WCVB, for example).
Do you know if they already are broadcasting local news in High Definition? If not, do you know when they plan to? What about WCSH and WMTW? When do they plan to broadcast local news in high def?
Thanks. I've learned a lot from this blog.
Ryan, from Saco, ME
Thanks for writing, Ryan. It is great to get some intelligent questions from informed people.
None of the Portland stations are broadcasting their local news in HD. The closest thing you are going to get any time soon is WGME who will be broadcast ONLY THEIR WEATHER SEGMENTS" in HD. Supposedly, on July 23, WGME will begin this new process.
Now, I suspect it might be a bit jarring to the viewer. If you have an HDTV, the picture will suddenly jolt to wide screen and high definition. And then when the weather segment is done, back to SD. If you don't have an HDTV the picture will probably shrink (depending on how they've programmed it) so that the 16:9 aspect ratio will fit on a regular TV. So it will have black bars on the sides AND the top and bottom. That is what I suspect anyway but until I see it I won't be able to know for sure. I've been in contact with the General Manager of WGME.
There is not a lot of HD brain power in the Portland market. They are all struggling. I don't know if you have read some of the stuff on my blog but I often call the local stations to let them know that they are not broadcasting in HD but should be (Like during Prime Time, or certain sports programming on the weekends). When I call these stations, they are very leery of who I am and why I am calling. I usually get some young kid (I'm not that old but they are certainly younger than me) munching on a Kit-Kat bar who has no idea what I am talking about.
I have heard from reliable sources that the TV industry, specifically in the HD world, is having trouble getting good people. The General Manager from WGME is actually very appreciative when I call the station to let them know of a problem but it doesn't make the workers look too good when I do, so they don't care for me much. But at least now when I call and give them my name, the do something about it. (The GM asked me to come and tour the station and meet the people so they know who I am now). In reality, I'm a nobody, Just a consumer with an HD television who did a lot of research, that's it.
The only HD broadcast of local news that's even close to us is Channel 5 out of Boston. I do get that on my cable system in Southern Maine. It is quite awesome to see the local news in HD. Field cameras are still a problem. When Channel 5 field reports are out reporting live from the scene, the picture is in the proper 16:9 aspect ratio, but the computers at the station processing the incoming image are only picking up the picture in SD resolution (kind of strange).
As you can see, if Channel 5 is still struggling, and they are one of the first in their field and way in front of the curve, you can only imaging how our local stations here in Maine are going to fare.
Luckily I have very good "contacts" at both WGME and WPME/WPXT. The other stations don't like me too much :) Oh well.
Thanks so much for your inquiries. Let me know if I can help with anything else. I enjoy having people to talk to about this stuff.
Thanks so much for your quick response.
So, it sounds that WGME will be "phasing" their transition to HD. Not the most appealing way to me, but, not my choice.
WHDH will be launching HD either this coming Monday or Tuesday, so I hear. In fact, if you watch 7 this weekend you'll see the regular newsroom behind the anchors, but it's actually a green screen to hide the changes that are being made to the set.
Thanks again!
Ryan from Saco
You're right, phasing in is not exciting. When you look at how expensive the equipment is, you understand. I'm not sicking up for it mind you, I'm just saying. Stations are playing the numbers game, more HD programming will be around when more HD sets are around, and more HD sets will be around when more HD programming is available. So who goes first.
I did not know about WHDH in Boston, I'll have to keep an eye on them.
Thanks again
Ron
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