Minutes of July 11, 2005 board meeting
| A. | Opening | ||
| 1. | Call to order | ||
| The meeting was called to order by President Cole at 5:04 PM. | |||
| 2. | Attendance | ||
| Board members present: Blazek, Cole, Manos, Middlemiss, Schneider, Wetzel | |||
| Board members absent: Ash, Greene, Longo | |||
| Visitors: | |||
| 3. | Approval of minutes | ||
| The minutes of the March meeting as posted to the Web site were approved. | |||
| 4. | Treasurer's report | ||
| Treasurer Blazek presented a report for the preceding month. Major financial expendatures were for the new transmit antennas for channels 33, 35, and 39, and the attendance fees for the National Translators Association annual convention in Denver. There is currently $47,000 in the bank. | |||
| 5. | Correspondence | ||
| President Cole reported having received and responded to several emails regarding HDTV and the loss of KVCR FM. | |||
| B. | Committee reports | ||
| 1. | Standing committees | ||
| b. | Operations | ||
|
The process of relocating channels 53 and up to channels 51 and below has
begun.
Channel 45 was replaced with the digital to analog conversion of KCAL-DT.
Channel 47, 49, are digital to analog conversions of KTTV-DT and KCOP-DT,
respectively, and channel 51 is KCET analog as received at Laurel Mt.,
and are operating on temporary 10-watt translators until the 100-watt
translators are re-crystaled to operate on the new channels.
In order to receive the KTTV-DT signal, channel 65 was turned off early.
Channel 59 may be turned off to receive KCET-DT, and 53 may be turned off
to receive KABC-DT.
Living Proof, Inc. put KTWD on the air June 16th from El Paso peak at 7000-watts and made reception of KVCR within at least 50 miles of Laurel Mt. impossible. Living Proof, Inc. was also granted a three year construction permit for a 180-watt transmitter on 88.7 MHz at El Paso peak, and the Booster will be required to relinquish it's K204AE license when it goes on the air. It's hard not to believe that the Booster's translation of KVCR was specifically targeted. |
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| D. | New business | ||
| 1. | Motion to elevate Ken Wetzel to the board by member Schneider. Seconded by member Manos. Motion carried: 5 ayes (all present but Wetzel), 3 absent. | ||
| 2. | Motion to purchase eight set-top boxes (to convert digital to analog), not to exceed $1600, by President Cole. Seconded by Treasurer Blazek. Motion carried: 6 ayes, 3 absent. | ||
| 3. | Motion to purchase eight new transmitter antenna feed line assemblies for use on Laural Mt. UHF (hardline or braided coax), PolyPhasers for "B" Mt., angle adapters and accessories, not to exceed $1500, by member Wetzel. Seconded by member Manos. Motion carried: 6 ayes, 3 absent. | ||
| 4. | Motion to purchase Sencore USB digital RF probe and software, and laptop computer, not to exceed $3300, by Vice President Middlemiss. Seconded by Treasurer Blazek. Motion carried: 6 ayes, 3 absent. | ||
| E. | Discussion items | ||
| 1. |
A long discussion ensued with regard to the end of 2008 being the date for
the digital transition and the lack of availability of set-top boxes due
to the satellite companies strong-arming merchants to not carry them.
Congress is guess-timating that set-top boxes will be available by then
in the $50-$75 range.
However, Congress will require HDTV manufacturers to include digital tuners
in all new mid-range sets by March 2006.
The 28" Sanyo HDTV currently available at Wal-Mart has a digital tuner built
in and so a set-top box is unnecessary.
There was consesus that Over The Air HDTV broadcasts were superior in quality to the same broadcasts available over satellite due to the satellite company's recompressing the HD signal. It was also noted that the colors seemed "washed out" on the HDTV locals offered on the DirecTV HD system. |
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| F. | Closure | ||
| 1. | Next meeting: 5:00 PM, August 8, 2005, Kern County Library, Ridgecrest | ||
| 2. | Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 6:15 PM. |