What happens to WNYT Digital after "conversion"

[Budgetguy]

Question for anyone who might know--My understanding is that the Fed Government is very anxious to complete the digital conversion so that they may recapture the VHF wavelength so that it may be used primarily by emergency/homeland security personnel...in that regard does this mean that WNYT will have to eventually move from its current digital location of VHF channel 12 to someplace on the UHF band??? Would the conversion also mean that eventually OTA folks would have no need for a VHF antenna??? Just curious...
Thanks,

[MasterFX1]

Guest-Budgetguy said:

My understanding is that the Fed Government is very anxious to complete the digital conversion so that they may recapture the VHF wavelength so that it may be used primarily by emergency/homeland security personnel.

This is not true. The government is not really recapturing anything. They are reclaiming the analog frequencies, ultimately to auction off to the corporate world. Both UHF and VHF assignments are being given and taken.

WNYT, in your excample, is currently on 13 Analog and 12 Digital. When the FCC does take back an analog frequency, they'll give WNYT-DT the choice of sticking with 12 or moving to their original analog assignment... 13. In this case both are VHF. WRGB, however, is analog 6 and digital 39. Since 6 is a much better assignment for both technical reasons and marketing reasons, WRGB will most likely elect to move the Digital broadcast to 6... giving 39 back to the FCC when the take-back finally comes.