West Lane Translator

Free Over the Air Television

By Larry Bloomfield

Yes, you can get free over the air television in many parts of the Florence area, and things are only going to get better in the not too distant future. All you need is an antenna, and in some places, a rabbit ear antenna on your TV set is sufficient. We are West Lane Translators, a non-profit organization that currently rebroadcasts these Eugene stations on our translators: KEZI (ABC), KVAL (CBS), KLSR (Fox) and KMTR (NBC). The "translators" are located just south of town on Glanada Hill. You can also receive Oregon Public Broadcasting (PBS) from our facilities as well. Since the Florence Central Oregon Coast comprises about 20% of the Eugene viewing market, we are funded by both television and radio stations that use our facilities.

So what's new?

As the result of a cooperative effort between West Lane Translators and Sprint/Nextel, West Lane Translators now owns a new, larger, 240 foot tower. At the frequencies our translators/transmitters operate on, height is more important than power! If you can increase both, it's always a win-win situation. We currently use a 140 foot tower. Our antennas are feed by relatively low powered analog transmitters, but we are in a transition period. For the next two months (December 2009 and January 2010), we will continue to offer analog services from our 140 foot tower.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the agency that regulates broadcasting, has ordered all users of television channels on/above channel 52 to vacate those channels. All West Lane Translators operate on channels (frequencies) on/above channel 52, falling into this category. West Lane Translators has been granted "new" channels and we have new digital capable equipment on hand awaiting installation that will operate on our new channels (frequencies) on our new 240 foot tower. This work should be completed sometime between now and January 1, 2010.

Here's the plan.

When the installation of our new transmitters/translators is finished:

KLSR (Fox) will move from Channels 52 analog to Channel 51 digital.
KEZI (ABC) will move from Channel 56 analog to Channel 35 digital.
KVAL (CBS) will move from Channel 58 analog to Channel 40 digital.
KMTR (NBC) will move from Channel 60 analog to Channel 43 digital.
OPB (PBS) will move from Channel 54 analog to Channel 32 digital.

What's in it for us?

With the increase in height and power of the new digital translators/transmitters, you will get all the benefits of digital television. There will be no more snowy pictures. You will either have a picture that is "near studio quality" or nothing at all. You will have digital's multiple channel capabilities. For example: KMTR currently carries their program on what they call 16-1. They also will carry the CW network on 16-2, so you will actually be getting an additional channel. All those programs that are broadcast by all four of the networks in High Definition will also be available to Florence viewers in High Definition. None of that is available on analog.

West Lane Translators is a non-profit organization that has been around for many years. You do not have to be a "technical type" to join and be a part of the action; most members are not. You can have a voice in making this all happen. Join us! West Lane Translator's public meetings six times a year. You do not have to be a member to attend. For more information, call either 997-3774 or 902-2424 or e-mail us at: Webmaster@w-l-t.org .

When our transition to digital takes place, you may not have to change your antenna. If you have a TV set that is more than a couple of years old, you may need a converter box to convert the new digital signals back to analog for older television receivers. All television sets manufactured on or after March 2007 must have the capability of receiving the new digital signals.