The spectrum repack reduced the frequencies used for over-the-air television to channels 2 – 36 to make room for other services such as 5G wireless. As a result of the repack stations broadcasting on channels above 36 moved to lower frequencies. Some stations that were broadcasting at channel 36 or below also moved broadcast frequencies, and some stations ceased operation.
Read on for the timeline for the SF Bay Area repack and additional information regarding the repack.
Update July 25:
- The spectrum repack is complete and all channels should now be broadcasting on their new frequencies.
- KTLN lit up RF 22 for 68.1 , 68.2, and 1.2 on June 30. These stations will stop transmitting on RF 42 on July 3.
- As of April 29 Phase 9 of the spectrum repack has been completed. This completes the majority of the moves for the SF Bay Area. There are still a few stations that will be moving, such as KTLN from RF 42 to RF 22, as part of Phase 10.Among the changes that were a part of Phase 9, KGO moved from RF 7 to RF 12, KRON moved from RF 38 to RF 7, KNTV moved from RF 12 to RF 13, KBCW moved from RF 45 to RF 28, and KCNZ moved from RF 28 to RF 21. Please see Larry Kenney’s lists for a full accounting of the stations impacted by the repack. Note that stations are working through unexpected issues such as co-channel interference. KDTV in Santa Rosa is interfering with KCNZ from Sutro Tower, for example. If you are experiencing reception issues please contact the station to ensure they area aware of the problem.
- On March 13 KKPX moved from RF 41 to RF 33. KKPX RF 33 reception is severely impaired at the monitor site in Mountain View.
- On March 9 KTVU, KPJK and KCNS/KTNC/KEMO shut down their pre-repack transmitters. KTVU has moved from RF 44 to RF 31, KPJK from RF 43 to RF 27, and KCNS/KTNC/KEMO from RF 39 to RF 32.
- On March 5 KTVU, KPJK and KCNS/KTNC/KEMO began transmitting on their repack frequencies (in addition to their pre-repack frequencies). KTVU is broadcasting on RF 31 (in addition to 44), KPJK on RF 27 (in addition to 43), and KCNS/KTNC/KEMO on RF 32 (in addition to 39).
The spectrum repack reduces the frequencies which are used for over-the-air television so they can be used for other services such as 5G wireless. As a result many stations will begin transmitting on a different frequency. In some cases they may also transmit from a new location. This is a nationwide change that is being conducted in phases – The San Francisco – Oakland – San Jose area is in Phase 9, with a few stations in Phase 8.
As described below, SF Bay Area viewers are already being affected by the work required to prepare for the repack.
The actual repack dates – the dates when stations will switch to their new frequencies – are:
- Phase 8: 1/18/2020 – 3/13/2020
- Phase 9: 3/14/2020 – 5/1/2020
The dates listed above are the “testing period” for each phase. During the testing period stations are allowed to begin broadcasting on their new frequencies. By the end of the testing period the stations must stop broadcasting on their old frequencies.
Pre-Repack Impact
In order to accommodate the work required to switch to a new frequency, some stations are currently operating on auxiliary antennas. Because these antennas may be lower on a tower (especially on Sutro Tower), or have different transmission characteristics than the main antenna, viewers may need to adjust the location or orientation of their antennas.
Post-Repack Changes
During a repack phase stations will switch to their newly assigned frequencies. In some cases the physical location of transmitters will also change. For the SF Bay Area the majority of stations broadcast from Sutro Tower in San Francisco. However broadcasts also originate from San Bruno Mountain as well as Mt. Allison and Monument Peak in the hills overlooking Fremont.
What will NOT change are a station’s call sign or channel number. As an example KNTV will continue to be known as KNTV and will continue to be on 11-1. What will change is that 11-1, which is currently broadcast on RF channel 12, will switch to RF channel 13. 11-1 is known as the “virtual channel number.” (Confused? Don’t worry – in most cases you don’t need to know the RF channel, except that it’s changing…)
How your devices learn about the change in RF channels depends on the type of device.
- For televisions and many ATSC receivers, users will need to perform a channel (re)scan. During the scanning process the TV or receiver will tune to each RF frequency and see what channels it finds. This is the same process a user would use if a new station were to go on air.
- For devices which get program guide data from a service, such as TiVo DVRs, the service provider will automatically update its information. BUT, there will likely be a lag, from days to weeks, between the time a station starts broadcasting on its new frequency and the time the service information is updated. Devices typically offer a channel scan function to discover channels which are not known to the program guide system, and users may need to use this to add channels on their new frequencies. Note that channels added in this manner will likely lack program and schedule information, so users will need to manually set up recordings.
The observant of you will note that the “testing phase” lasts about 2 months and a station can switch at any time during the testing phase. In addition, in some cases in order for one station to start transmitting, another station will need to stop transmitting. As an example, KGO will be moving to RF 12, which is currently occupied by KNTV. As a result KNTV will need to move first, after which KGO can switch. So there is no single day when all stations in the Bay Area will cut over. Instead, expect that stations will transition individually during the period.
Bottom line: Scan Often!
More Information
The National Association of Broadcasters Spectrum Repacking Database lists stations, old/new broadcast channels, and transition phase assignments. (For the SF Bay Area, select “San Francisco – Oakland – San Jose” under “Filter by DMA” and click Submit).