# HD Locals: Lincoln, NE Channel 8 Issue



## jb3683 (Jan 28, 2011)

I am receiving my HD locals from Lincoln, NE. Anytime the weather is not absolutely perfect, my Channel 8 (KLKN) HD, starts to pixelate. I have had a tech out and he switched my 1k2 out for a 1k4. He even stated that this would not fix the problem, because it is either the station's (KLKN) transmitting problem, or an uplink issue with E*. I have verified with other family members in the area, that when I am having a problem so are they. I tried to call tech support, and asked to speak to a supervisor, but coincidently got disconnected not once but twice.

This has been ongoing since I upgraded to HD in December. I want to know who can I speak with at E* to get this issue resolved.

On a side note, we receive two ABC stations (KLKN and KHGI). Why is E* not broadcasting the KHGI HD? I did confirm with an engineer from KHGI that they are broadcasting an HD signal.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

First one, it's not Dish's problem. If it's a problem with the uplink transmission from KLKN there's nothing they can do about it. 

Second, Dish only provides one HD signal per network per market. I get two NBCs in the Philly area but Atlantic City NBC 40 is SD-only.


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## jb3683 (Jan 28, 2011)

I disagree with you. Dish is providing a service. If there is a problem with it they need to resolve it. They need to be in contact with the station to fix it. As a customer I don't care who's problem it is. I just want it resolved.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

Then you need to contact the station.


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## jb3683 (Jan 28, 2011)

I suppose next you will tell me, I need to negotiate carriage fees. Obviously you just don't get it.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

I didn't say anything about carriage fees. If you've made Dish aware of it, they're working on it. If you don't think they're working on it hard enough, call them again or email [email protected] to tell them about it. In the end, Dish can't go in there and work on the network's transmitter, so there's only so much Dish can do.


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## joelwnelson (Feb 20, 2011)

Here's the issue in a nutshell. Dish Network's uplink center for the Lincoln market is at KHAS-TV in Hastings. KLKN's transmitter near Utica does not put out a strong enough signal to always reliably cover Hastings since they moved from channel 31 to channel 8 in 2009. The problem is that the Lincoln market is really two market areas -- Tri-Cities and Lincoln. DISH (and DirecTV, I might add) are actually both based out of the Tri-Cities side of the market, and can easily receive KHAS, KGIN (which is displayed as KOLN), KHNE (which is displayed as KUON), KHGI, and KFXL (via KHGI DT2). As KLKN does not have a Tri-Cities over-the-air feed, but is received over-the-air from the Lincoln area using a powerful antenna at the KHAS facility, bad weather will disrupt the signal.

Alternatives? KLKN needs to turn up the power, or Dish needs to use an uplink facility closer to Lincoln. The latter's not going to happen, so it's going to take a KLKN power increase to fix the issue. They transmit at less than 30,000 watts and require an OTA repeater on channel 31 in Lincoln just to even provide a local-grade indoor signal to their city of license, Lincoln.

KOLN isn't much better but they at least (a) transmit a little closer to Lincoln, from Beaver Crossing, and (b) have KGIN which provides a reliable signal to Dish and DirecTV.

I don't know why Dish doesn't carry KHGI in HD, since it's the ABC affiliate for the western 1/2 of the Lincoln/Tri-Cities market and does broadcast in HD. They probably figure they already have ABC HD covered with KLKN, but as you are experiencing, ever since KLKN moved from 500,000 watts on channel 31 (which covered part of the Omaha area as well) to 25,900 watts on channel 8 (which is hard to get even in Lincoln) that strategy hasn't worked so well.


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

I despise any station that decided to return to VHF after the analog cutoff. YES I'M LOOKING AT YOU WPVI AND WHYY


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## runner861 (Mar 20, 2010)

jb3683 said:


> I disagree with you. Dish is providing a service. If there is a problem with it they need to resolve it. They need to be in contact with the station to fix it. As a customer I don't care who's problem it is. I just want it resolved.


I agree with you. Customers should receive good service, not companies passing the buck. Companies today are very good at passing the buck, not so good at customer service. (Look at the Sobongo/Dish HD distants situation. Each company is good at blaming the other for the loss of HD distants, neither is good at fixing the situation.)


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## jb3683 (Jan 28, 2011)

@joelwnelson: thanks for the info. I hope someone from dish reads your post. Maybe they will decide to broadcast KHGI in HD. I agree with you. The lincoln market is divided in half. Obviously with me living in central nebraska, I would rather watch KHGI in HD. I know directv broadcasts both abc channels in HD. It is something I'm going to consider when my contact is up.


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## joelwnelson (Feb 20, 2011)

RasputinAXP said:


> I despise any station that decided to return to VHF after the analog cutoff. YES I'M LOOKING AT YOU WPVI AND WHYY


Just about all of Nebraska, with the exception of Omaha (all UHF) went back to VHF. All of the full-power stations licensed to Lincoln, with the exception of KFXL 51 (which is full-power in license only), are on high VHF. In the Tri-Cities and North Platte, all commercial full-powers went back to VHF, with the NBC affiliates on LOW-VHF (North Platte's KNOP is on channel 2 and can't be received on a portable antenna just 5 miles from the transmitter site). Most of the PBS network stations are on VHF again too.

The stations claim that VHF is best for them because they can cut electricity costs and cover a large rural area. But the "large area" only applies if everyone has a rooftop antenna.


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## joelwnelson (Feb 20, 2011)

jb3683 said:


> @joelwnelson: thanks for the info. I hope someone from dish reads your post. Maybe they will decide to broadcast KHGI in HD. I agree with you. The lincoln market is divided in half. Obviously with me living in central nebraska, I would rather watch KHGI in HD. I know directv broadcasts both abc channels in HD. It is something I'm going to consider when my contact is up.


DirecTV probably has the same signal issue with KLKN as I believe their uplink is at KHAS too. At least they have KHGI as a HD alternative, though ironically during bad weather it may make KHGI the best ABC affiliate in Lincoln too due to the reception issues with KLKN.


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