Pioneer Public TV to increase signal strength

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Pioneer Public TV will increase its signal strength and install new equipment at its Appleton facility in early November.

By replacing a transmitter and antenna for KWCM-TV, the station’s signal will reach more viewers.

“This equipment upgrade should be good news for viewers because Pioneer’s signal will reach a larger area and will be easier to receive within our existing service area” said Pioneer General Manager Les Heen. “Our current digital signal reaches about 86 percent as many viewers as our analog signal used to, and after this upgrade we will reach a larger area than we did with analog.”

Installation of the new equipment is scheduled for November 1-15, weather permitting. Crews will have to scale a 1,200-foot tower to remove an antenna that weighs four tons, and replace it with a new antenna. At the same time, engineers will finish installation of a new Channel 10 digital transmitter.

“For the safety of the work crews, we will be off the air at various times during construction,” said Heen. “When we go back on the air with the new Channel 10 digital transmitter, viewers will need to rescan their converter boxes or digital tuners to once again receive Pioneer. These interruptions will also affect our Fergus Falls area viewers on Channel 49 because our Fergus Falls tower gets Pioneer’s signal via the Appleton tower.”

Fergus Falls area viewers will also see service interruptions next year when a transmitter in that area is upgraded to digital.

For more information about receiving Pioneer’s signal during the construction, call 1-800-726-3178, e-mail yourtv@pioneer.org, or write to Pioneer, 120 West Schlieman, Appleton, MN 56208.

Tags: pioneer public tv, business, television