Viewers Using Antennas Will Need to Rescan TVs;
Cable and Satellite Subscribers Not Affected
Watertown, NY – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently held an auction of broadcast airwaves to make available more capacity for wireless internet broadband services. As a result, the FCC is requiring many television stations to move to new frequencies to make room for wireless internet services. WPBS-TV will move frequencies on Monday, July 29 after 12 noon and viewers who watch TV for free with an over the air antenna must rescan their TVs to continue watching the station. Rescanning is when a TV is reset to find all of the available channels in the viewer’s area.
Viewers do not need to purchase new equipment or services, and those who watch WPBS-TV through a cable or satellite service do not need to rescan – your service provider will do it for you.
To rescan on Monday, July 29, select “scan” or “autotune” on the TV or converter box control menu to start the scanning process. Instructions are usually available by pressing the “set-up” or “menu” buttons on the remote control.
Plan to rescan and stay tuned to WPBS-TV for more information or visit wpbstv.org. Additionally, TVAnswers.org, a viewer resource provided by the National Association of Broadcasters, features the latest news and information on station changes nationwide. At TVAnswers.org, viewers can also sign up for mobile alerts and email updates to stay up-to-date on TV station changes.
Viewers can also call the Federal Communication Commission’s consumer hotline at 1-888-CALLFCC (1-888-225-5322) and press “6” to speak to a help desk representative. The call center is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Eastern time, seven days a week.
About WPBS-TV
WPBS-TV is a non-profit public television station serving approximately 650,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario. WPBS-TV’s mission is to educate, entertain and inform our two-nation audience through superior local and national content and media engagement in order to enhance the lives of those it serves. More information about WPBS is available at www.wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter and Facebook.
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