CBS, Sinclair, and WGME pass the buck regarding High Def issues

WGME-13 in Portland, Maine is NOT broadcasting in 1080i High Definition on their HD Channel (13.1).

I didn't notice for a while because I had cable TV, with a cable box.  I remember thinking that WGME's broadcast didn't have the quality I remembered but I don't watch TV that often anymore and figured that since I was using my cable box instead of an antenna, there was a signal degradation.  When I decided it was too expensive and went back to using my old Bessie (TERK Antenna) my Sony Bravia TV told me that Channel 13.1 was in 720p.  Then it hit me.

This confused the heck out of me.  As the second largest broadcaster in the world behind the BBC (UK), CBS Corporation was one of the biggest proponents of 1080i High Definition, investing a lot of money to make 1080i the standard over 720p.  In the end, CBS got what it wanted for CBS affiliates while other Networks, like ABC and Fox went with 720p.  And I know that WGME had been broadcasting in 1080i from back a ways when I only relied on over the air High Definition.  So when I noticed all of this happening last week, I called CBS Corporation in New York and left a message - that was my only option.

CBS itself doesn't own WGME, it is owned by SInclair Broadcasting (better known as the Tea Party broadcasting group).  On the day I left a message with CBS, I went home that night and noticed that WGME was back to broadcasting in 1080i.  I thought that maybe, someone from CBS contacted them.  CBS Affiliates are under contract to rebroadcast network programming in 1080i.  It work the same for whatever network we're talking about whether the contract is for 720p or 1080i.
Now, there is an ongoing debate over which is better, 720p or 1080i.  I can guarantee you, in all my years of researching HD TV, 1080i is superior to 720p.  I can tell the difference from a mile off.  But that's not the point.  The point is that CBS and NBC transmit their HD signals in 1080i, while ABC and Fox broadcast in 720p.  Do me a favor - watch and compare and see if you don't agree.

I worked on getting my antenna in just the right spot for several days (it's what you do when you rely on Over The Air, or OTA, television signals).  So I know that it wasn't a fluke.  WGME didn't slip up one day for a few hours.  They were broadcasting in 720p for I don't know how long and they hoped nobody would notice.

I noticed.

I knew (from previous experience) that if I called the General Manager of WGME that I wouldn't get any answers.  So I called CBS Corporate Offices in New York.  I didn't get to speak to a live person but I left a message with a Rich Shoenholtz in Affiliate Relations.  I never heard back from the guy (I wasn't surprised).  When I didn't hear back I wrote to Craig Clark, the Chief Engineer at WGME to ask about the 720p signal.  I did not hear back from him either.

Today, I called CBS again and talked to a lovely (I'm kidding) woman named Kathleen Powers.  She had absolutely no idea what I was talking about and didn't know High Definition from a hole in the wall.  After I got frustrated trying to explain, she put me on hold and said she talked to "someone" who said that Sinclair Broadcasting owned WGME and I would have to take it up with them.

OK - I don't get it.  WGME is owned by Sinclair but under contract with CBS to rebroadcast the CBS signal in 1080i.  CBS spent a lot of money to make sure they would be in 1080i when the conversion to digital/HDTV took place.  But nobody cares that their affiliate isn't doing what is supposed to be done under a signed contract?  That make absolutely no sense to me.

So I called Sinclair, knowing ahead of time that I would be hard pressed to find someone there who would talk to a lowly consumer.  When I explained why I was calling the receptionist, again, had absolutely NO IDEA what I was talking about and said that an affiliate could use whatever "brand of equipment" they wanted and that I should take it up with WGME.  What!?  Really?!

When I finally explained what High Definition was and the different qualities of High Definition, and that one of their stations was following protocol, she transferred me to the IT department.  The gentleman that answered the phone said that he wasn't the right person to talk to (after I explained again why I was calling) and "transferred" me to dead air by hanging up on me.

As a last resort, I called Tom Humpage, General Manager of WGME.  I left a voice mail and sent him and email since we had emailed each other a few years back about other issues.

As of the date and time of this posting, I have yet to hear back from anyone regarding this issue.

Converter Boxes - it's NOT just about the box.

A recent visitor expressed an understanding of my frustration of the DTV conversion and posted a link to the following WGME report.

http://www.wgme.com/series/OnYourSide/oys_20090203.shtml

While the couple in the piece is right, the DTV conversion is fraught with misinformation, I noticed something in the video that stuck out like a sore thumb.

The Lewis family, near Oxford, Maine, bought a converted box at Walmart - no problem so far. They rely on antenna TV because of where they live. No cable coverage, no satellite TV coverage. But I noticed on the top of their TV was an antenna (rabbit ears, so to speak) which are supposed to work. Well now we have a problem.

When I first got my HDTV and attempted to receive free over the air digital/HD, I tried about 10 different indoor antenna's and only one worked. I tried the one shown in the WGME clip which I got from Walmart. I tried 3 other brands from Walmart and 2 other brands from Radio Shack. Remember I'm talking about antennas, not converter boxes.

And through this blog I have had contact with people who own outdoor, rooftop antenna of various sizes and shapes; all with various degrees of luck and none all too happy.

But it wasn't until I went to Best Buy and bought a strange looking antenna from a company called TERK. It cost be about $70.00. But I can receive every Portland station and several in New Hampshire as well. All are in picture perfect HD quality. If I need to watch the NH channels I just adjust the position of the antenna where it sits on a table right next to my HDTV.

Here is a picture of the antenna I use:

So let me reiterate. Any converter box will do, they all do the same thing. But not all antennas are alike. And you need a good antenna to receive over the air digital TV.

With mine, I can receive WCSH, WMTW, WGME, Maine PBS, WPME (MyNetwork), WPXT(CW), and WPFO (Fox). Keep in mind that WPFO recently ran a test to make sure everything will work when they cut over to WPFO on midnight, February 17. Search this blog for more info on why WPFO is different than the rest.

I hope this information helps. I am not "endorsing" this product and get no kick backs from the company, or anything like that. It was all about trial and error.

To the Lewis family in Oxford. I wish you luck and would suggest your return the rabbit ears you have, if you can, and then buy the TERK model. If you can't get any stations with the TERK, then you're in trouble because nobody cares about the signal strength of their TV station. (Again read other articles on this site).