Font Size:

The transition to digital television is not without its hiccups and frustrations.  We are adapting as you are adapting to this new technology.  Now that our new digital transmitter and antenna are in place, we’re continuing to monitor our signal and will make adjustments as necessary in order to bring you the best TV signal possible.

Our engineers will be roaming our entire coverage area performing field tests in the coming days which will help us determine reception problems in parts of South Central Kentucky.  In the meantime, if you are experiencing trouble picking up our signal, we offer the following tips to some of the most asked questions pertaining to our switch to digital.

“I am not receiving WBKO’s signal at all and haven’t since you signed off your analog channel in December.  What happened?”   On December 7^th, WBKO ceased broadcasting our signal at analog channel 13.  From that time until January 19^th, we were broadcasting on a temporary digital transmitter at channel 33.  From this point on, we will broadcast our signal at digital channel 13.  You will need to purchase a DTV converter box and hook it up to your TV – or buy a new TV that comes with a built-in digital tuner in order to receive WBKO’s new digital signal.

 “I rescanned my converter box on the day you switched over to the new transmitter and antenna but have not been able to pick you up since.  What else do I need to do?”   You may need to adjust the antenna you are using to pick us up.  Because the antenna we are broadcasting from is different from the one we were using before January 19^th, you will need to display the “signal strength” meter from your converter box or DTV tuner and make turn your antenna until you get a satisfactory signal.

“I am currently using an indoor rabbit ear antenna and was picking up your signal fine until the switch on January 19^th.  Will I need to purchase a different kind of antenna or an outside mast to pick you up now?”  If you’re within a 15-20 mile radius of our tower in Richardsville, you should have no trouble picking up our new signal with a regular rabbit ear antenna.  If you’re within this range and still cannot receive our signal, try extending the rabbit ear antenna all the way out.  You might also try moving the antenna around and watching the signal strength display from your converter box which can be displayed on your TV screen.

For those outside a 20-mile radius from Richardsville: Regular rabbit-ear antennas may not pick up our new signal at that distance.  You may want to look at purchasing an attic-mounted or rooftop-mounted antenna for better reception.  In any case, make sure the antenna you purchase receives both VHF and UHF channels.

Pointing your antenna:  Want to know the exact direction to point your antenna in order to receive the best signal?  There are two very helpful websites where you can input your home address and get a printout of all available signals in your area.  The first is http://www.antennaweb.org and another is http://www.tvfool.com

“I have tried rescanning, adjusting the antenna and even purchasing a higher gain antenna, but I still cannot get WBKO..now what?”   Our engineers will be field testing our signal strength all over South Central Kentucky in the coming days.  Please send us your name and address and we will come to your location and check the signal from your vantage point.  The data we gather from these on-site field tests will help us determine what adjustments are necessary in order to provide a better signal.

“I have an HD satellite receiver from our satellite provider…how do I rescan this to receive WBKO?”  You will need to contact your satellite provider (DirecTV or Dish) and ask them to assist you with retuning your high-definition satellite receiver so that it will recognize WBKO’s digital signal.

“I also have satellite.  It would make things a lot simpler if WBKO were on either DirecTV or Dish.  Why aren’t you?”   We would be happy to be on both satellite systems as a local option but it is up to both DirecTV and Dish Network to link us there.  We’ve been in contact with both satellite companies about adding WBKO for our viewing area but have received no reply to our request.