DTV Digital Guide

Congress required all full-power television stations, including WBRC, to shut off their analog television transmissions on or before June 12, 2009, and transmit only in digital.

As part of that transition, WBRC enhanced its service quality to most of our viewers in the Birmingham area. However, now that our transition has occurred, certain viewers located in the Birmingham area may not be able to receive our signal.

See photos of the new WBRC DTV antenna installation.

To see how you are affected by the transition, visit the FCC's website at www.dtv.gov/maps or call 1-888-CALL-FCC or 1-888-TELL-FCC (TTY).

For most people, watching FOX6 will not change. If you have cable or satellite TV, this transition to DTV in 2009 did not affect you because your cable or satellite provider continues to send the signal to you as you get it now.

The dramatic difference happened for people who watch FOX6 with an "off-air" antenna or listen to FOX6 on 87.7 FM. Now that FOX6 WBRC-TV has turned off its analog transmitter, you will no longer be able to see FOX6 on your traditional "channel 6" analog frequency and you will not be able to hear FOX6 on 87.7 FM.

Instead, you need to use a digital tuner to see FOX6 on digital channel 50. Your digital display will still say "FOX6," but your tuner will physically need to be tuned to digital channel 50. As for the radio, there will no longer be a radio frequency that will broadcast the FOX6 TV signal 24 hours a day.

DTV Coverage Maps | Search coverage by address

 

Antenna Retailers

To receive our digital signal, you will need a UHF antenna.

Within 15 miles of the TV station, an indoor antenna should work. However, trying to receive our signal beyond 15 miles from downtown Birmingham will likely require an attic or outdoor antenna.

Some Birmingham DTV antenna retailers:

DTV Consumer Education Quarterly Activity Reports

According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the following form (Form 388) detailing broadcast stations' DTV consumer education activities must be made available on station Web sites:

• WBRC - Form 388 1st Quarter 2008
• WBRC - Form 388 2nd Quarter 2008
• WBRC - Form 388 3rd Quarter 2008
• WBRC - Form 388 4th Quarter 2008
• WBRC - Form 388 1st Quarter 2009