First, I would like to say congratulations to Nancy Amons of WSMV. She has been in this business for 40 years with 32 of them at WSMV. She started at WSMV in 1988, and she has accumulated several awards including a National Edward R. Murrow Award in 2018. I want to not only wish her a very happy retirement but also to thank her for her work. I am providing a link to the story on The Tennessean website below.
Second, there will be a change coming to the Nashville airwaves. The FCC just recently lifted a freeze on any changes the TV stations can make to their channels. Today must have been opening day because WJFB has applied to not only move their broadcasting antenna to northern Nashville at the intersection of I-24 and Old Hickory Blvd., the same tower as WPGD, WKUW, and WCTZ, but also to power up to full power of 1000kw. This means that if you have been having a tough time receiving WJFB 44, once the FCC grants their application and WJFB starts broadcasting from northern Nashville, you should have no problem with it then. I am providing a link below to a PDF document that WJFB included with their application showing the difference between the current broadcast area and the new broadcast area. By the way, the blue dotted line is the current area, while the red solid lines are the new area. Also, for everyone that lives on the west side of Middle TN, WMC 5, the NBC affiliate in Memphis, has applied to change channels. They have been broadcasting on low VHF channel 5 ever since 2009. Their viewers have been experiencing difficulty receiving the channel. They will now be changing to channel 30 and broadcasting at 515kw. Until more news breaks, that's all for now.
Update: - Also, for those of you in the southern part of Middle TN near Huntsville, AL, WHNT 19 (rf 19) and WAAY 31 (rf 17) have applied to increase their power. WHNT will be going from 250kw to 530kw, while WAAY will be going from 310kw to 356kw.
Nancy Amons Announces Retirement
WJFB Current and New Broadcast Range
Two Posts in One: Broadcast Change and Retirement
- Posted November 27th, 2020 at 8:08pm
9 Comments
JDC
- Posted on November 28th, 2020 at 4:20pm
One: Congratulations to Nancy. I’m grateful that Meredith allowed her to retire gracefully. Two: I haven’t been able to get Channel 44 clearly in a few weeks, so any move they take to improve the signal is appreciated. Three: As a Memphis native, I can testify to the fact that WMC-TV’s signal can be tough to pick up. I spent forever trying to get my mother’s antenna in the right place. Fun Fact: Whitten Road (Exit 14 on I-40 in Shelby County) used to be named WMC Road because its transmitter was located nearby in the early 1930s.
n2radio
- Posted on November 30th, 2020 at 3:59pm
With the proposed changes for WJFB, the new coverage should nearly duplicate what WTVF was prior to the re-packaging on RF25. Looking forward to this change. WJFB is pretty consistent for me on the north side of Bowling Green even with my antenna pointed at the main antenna farm in Nashville catching 44 a bit off the side. On a side note, WZTV and WUXP have been rock solid in the last 45-60 days. Prior to that, it was horrible in my direction after the ATSC 3.0 re-alignment.
sensiblecinema7217
- Posted on December 1st, 2020 at 1:28pm
I am in Fairview and I was getting WJFB 44.1 through 44.7 with only occasional pixelization (about 40% signal strength average) but the pixelization was annoying enough to make me change from a Channel Master Digital Advantage 60 to the Channel Master Digital Advantage 100. I am aiming directly at the tower and have plenty strength on all the other channels when doing so. Scan produced 47 channels with the old antenna. In both cases I used the Channel Master Titan 2 amplifier. I saw a fair improvement on all channels but 44 and now I cannot get it at all! I've adjusted the antenna every which way but loose but only scan and receive 40 channels now. I can't imagine I am over amplifying because only the weakest, most distant signal is not coming in. Have they done something with the signal since the weekend or is it just me? Also, does anyone know the ETA of the proposed transmitter move? I see they are asking to more than doubling the antenna height, add 50kw more and move it closer to me by a few miles.
NashDigie
- Posted on December 1st, 2020 at 3:25pm
No, they haven't done anything. They are still broadcasting their usual signal. About their move, they have just applied for a move. It is right now up to the FCC to grant that application. Once they do, then they, WJFB, can move at any time when they want to. The FCC might take a week, a month, or a few months to grant the application. I will post it once they do.
gregsfc
- Posted on December 14th, 2020 at 5:49pm
According to the range graph, I shouldn't be receiving WJFB now or in the future, but "now" I'm closer to the line than the change shows and it's my most reliable signal except for WCTE. Since I currently can't receive any signal reliably from that north Nashville tower referenced, we're probably going to lose our favorite channel out here just north east of Cookeville. What about that duplicated signal, virtual channel 40? Is it still operating? Did it get sold to the MeTv owner along with WJFB?
NashDigie
- Posted on December 14th, 2020 at 9:29pm
Yes, WKUW-LD channel 40 is still on the air. Actually, right now, it is stronger and more reliable than WJFB is for me, and no, it didn't get sold. It is still owned by HC2 Broadcasting. Now when WJFB moves, I just wonder if the owner of WJFB (also the owner of MeTV, H&I, StartTV, Decades, and Movies!) will pull the plug on those networks being on WKUW, since there will be two of each network broadcasting from the same spot.
gregsfc
- Posted on December 15th, 2020 at 5:18am
Thanks for the reply and continuing this site. I've got some upgraded equipment to try out that possibly could help me eek out a couple more signals like WZTV and WSMV amd possibly one of the Next-Gen signals; I've got an uninstalled new combo UHF-only and a VHF high-only antenna; both Stellar Labs; a UHF-VHF combiner; and some new quad shield cabling. I'm currently pointing an Antenna Craft U8000 bow tie 275 degrees on the high-ground end of my home at about 23' from ground level with a wonky guide wire system but has served me well for seven years. However, what I really need is to find someone's used tower or buy new tower sections and try out my new combo set up over thirty feet to reasonably max out my reception-ability. Youtube's Antenna Man has recently reviewed both of the antenna that I have on hand with good results, but not yet installed, and he's also reviewed a new adjustable pre amp that would eliminate my need for a combiner; but my worries are that that the UHF dedicated antenna could be slightly too directional, since my span is about 12 degrees; 73-83 miles away and that the new pre amp may not be as strong as my old Channel Master Titan. The VHF is not a worry, since I'm going after only WSMV and possibly but not likely, WNPT. My second worry is that this could prove to be too big of a project for me and so I keep procrastinating.
xmguy
- Posted on February 21st, 2021 at 7:00pm
Might be time for me to rescan WHNT again. I am LOS for that area. But can't get it in McMinnville way it is.
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