All our TV stations are off the air

[cyberdad]

There are actually two sites, one on the Kailua KONA side and one looking toward Hilo. They're tied together with microwave links.

Thanks for the update. I presumed that was now the case.

Actually at the hotel where we stayed during that 1964 Kona coast visit there were no hotels in the rooms (and it was a nice hotel). The only TV was in the lobby. It wouldn't be a stretch to say the picture from the Maui relay channels was actually as good, if not better in our apartment, than in that Maui hotel lobby. And that was just with rabbit ears. Of course there was no reason to watch the Maui channels, since the Honolu channels with the exact same programming came in crystal clear in our apartment.

 

[kenglish]

Hawaiigar: I checked your profile page to see where you live, and to PM you. I see you are in Mountain View.
I have a friend in Honomu. He only gets the PBS translator K36OZ there. He said it was off from Friday at 6:30 PM, until Sunday. That was a fiber problem going to the Wailuku transmitter.
If anyone can monitor the KMEB feed directly from their transmitter, he'd like to know if there are any small interruptions that the average viewer may be "putting up with", but no one is reporting yet.

 

[DavidEduardo]

But those viewers are worth less to advertisers than people who can afford to pay for TV, so it's certainly possible that broadcasters will abandon OTA to improve the bottom line, reduce expenses and slash payroll (all of which will get Wall Street drooling) unless there's a government mandate to continue to provide programming for poorer folks, isn't it?

Most ad buys are not based on income levels, as many/most things advertised on TV are mass market items or services.

It's much more likely that ad buys will be based on age, gender, ethnicity and the like. There is a lot of material available now regarding family size and other factors that may help an advertiser target. But unless we are talking about a new BMW or expensive jewelry, most ads are pretty mass appeal.

Interestingly, many years ago we couldn't get a Lexus dealer on one of our Spanish language stations in LA. The owner was old-school (the most polite way I could say that). But we ran data on Lexus and luxury car sales by him, and he realized that he was missing something. A year later, more than half of his customers were Hispanic.

So you can't put stereotypes on consumers; Hispanics at the time did not use cable much as there was nothing on cable they could not get off the air for free.

 

[Kelly A]

Thanks for the update. I presumed that was now the case.

Actually at the hotel where we stayed during that 1964 Kona coast visit there were no hotels in the rooms (and it was a nice hotel). The only TV was in the lobby. It wouldn't be a stretch to say the picture from the Maui relay channels was actually as good, if not better in our apartment, than in that Maui hotel lobby. And that was just with rabbit ears. Of course there was no reason to watch the Maui channels, since the Honolu channels with the exact same programming came in crystal clear in our apartment.

I believe there are still some microwave links between the North side of Mauna Kea on the big island, across the Maui Channel, to Red Hill Haleakala on Maui. There is another link between Red Hill and Waihee-Waiehu on Maui.

As you noticed, the Kailua Kona area is very well served as it relates to OTA radio and TV from the sites on the West side of Mauna Key. Hilo is pretty good too from the site at the East side of Mauna Key, but the terrain is rougher, and Mauna Loa creates quite a shadow to the South end of the island.

 

[cyberdad]

I believe there are still some microwave links between the North side of Mauna Kea on the big island, across the Maui Channel, to Red Hill Haleakala on Maui. There is another link between Red Hill and Waihee-Waiehu on Maui.

As you noticed, the Kailua Kona area is very well served as it relates to OTA radio and TV from the sites on the West side of Mauna Key. Hilo is pretty good too from the site at the East side of Mauna Key, but the terrain is rougher, and Mauna Loa creates quite a shadow to the South end of the island.

First of all, I meant to say "no TVs in the hotel rooms" in my last post (bad cut and paste... sorry).

OTA radio on the Kona coast was good. Honolulu AMs mostly sounded like locals. And KPOI (5kw on 1380) was on in a number of public places. There was also a local station on 790 and Maui on 550, 900, and 1310...all good. The Hilo stations (620 and 850, IIRC) were weak. I didn't have access to an FM radio, so I'm not sure what....if anything...was available.