FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Calle Andrus, Communications Specialist
216.916.6434 | calle.andrus@ideastream.org
FCC Mandated Frequency Change Will Affect Over-The-Air Viewers of WVIZ/PBS ideastream on August 2, 2019
CLEVELAND, Ohio (July 24, 2019) — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is requiring several television stations in Northeast Ohio, including WVIZ/PBS ideastream, to change television frequencies. This change affects only those who use an antenna to watch over-the-air television. Households using cable, a satellite service or the internet will not be impacted.
WVIZ/PBS ideastream and other impacted local television stations will make the transition to new frequencies in the early morning of August 2. After the transition is complete, viewers of over-the-air broadcasting must scan their televisions to receive WVIZ/PBS ideastream on its new frequency. If viewers watch WVIZ/PBS ideastream on cable, a satellite service or the internet, they will not need to take any action. This change also affects the WVIZ/PBS ideastream digital channels, including WVIZ/PBS-HD, WVIZ/PBS OHIO, WVIZ/PBS WORLD, WVIZ/PBS CREATE and WVIZ/PBS KIDS.
After a scan, WVIZ/PBS ideastream and its digital channels will reappear in most affected households. No new devices, equipment or services will be needed to continue receiving the station. A guide on how to scan a television to locate the reassigned channels can be found at ideastream.org/plantoscan.
For two to three weeks after the frequency change on August 2, WVIZ/PBS ideastream will be broadcasting at lower power than usual. This may result in poor or no reception for some viewers. In the weeks following the frequency change on August 2, WVIZ/PBS ideastream will be restored to full power, and the signal should become accessible to over-the-air viewers after a final television scan. Viewers who are unable to receive the signal on August 2 can email plantoscan@ideastream.org to sign up to receive updates on the status of the project and a notification about the final date to scan.
The frequency reassignments are part of a project undertaken by the FCC to improve and expand wireless and broadband services. By law, as many as 1,000 TV stations nationwide, both commercial and non-commercial, must change broadcast frequencies by July 3, 2020. The FCC provides funding for the reassignment.
For more information, viewers can visit ideastream.org/plantoscan. WVIZ/PBS ideastream and WKYC, which is also changing frequencies on August 2, will jointly host a local telephone hotline that day to answer questions. On August 2 beginning at 6 a.m., viewers may call the local hotline number at 1-866-393-2525 for assistance. The FCC National Rescan hotline is also available at 1-888-CALLFCC.
About ideastream
ideastream serves the people of Northeast Ohio as a trusted and dynamic multimedia source for illuminating the world around us. Publicly supported and locally owned, ideastream is indispensable and highly valued for its unique ability to strengthen our community. ideastream is the consolidation of WVIZ/PBS, with five channels of public television service (WVIZ/PBS-HD, WVIZ/PBS OHIO, WVIZ/PBS WORLD, WVIZ/PBS CREATE and WVIZ/PBS KIDS); 90.3 WCPN, Northeast Ohio’s NPR news and public affairs radio station; WCLV 104.9, Northeast Ohio’s classical music radio station; ideastream Education, with educational resources, services and the award-winning children’s series NewsDepth; and management of The Ohio Channel and the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau on behalf of all Ohio’s public broadcasting stations. For more information about ideastream’s rich legacy of innovation and credible content, visit ideastream.org.
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