TV Station Comm Scanning

[RickS31]

Hi guys,

Back when all that was around were discrete analog scanning channels and I was into it pretty heavy, I really enjoyed listening to the various TV stations director channels. During most of the newscasts you heard what was going out over the air with breakins from the director to the various field reporters giving them timings and direction as to when to get ready for their on-air report and camera angles, etc. Noticed there seems to be no listings for such a thing now having gone through almost all the various frequency listings (commercial) and such for our area including Fulton County.

Maybe they've gone to iDen or whatever. Gotta believe that comm still happens but just curious if anybody has heard or knows about it. Used to be in the mid 160 Mhz bands.

Thanks,

Rick

 

[b7spectra]

During the news, listen in on 450.750 for WAGA and 455.750 for WSB. It's the back cue that the reporters will listen to and hear when the directors tell them when to start talking and when to shut up.

 

[ButchGone]

Many local TV stations have switched their "IFB" operations to cellular. Dial a number, connect with the audio board, hear the off air signal with producer interrupt. Woks much better than two-way.
And with cellular technology evolving (4g) in the next couple years, there won't be any need to use microwave or satellite trucks either. There will be plenty of bandwidth to push video and audio streams from the field. Connect camera to lap top via firewire, insert air card, poof. Many organizations are doing this now. CNN does it when they send video and do live reports while out and about covering hurricanes or stories in remote areas.
BG..

 

[RickS31]

Thanks guys. Kinda what I figured. Back in the late 90s I was the Advanced Products and Services Manager for Bellsouth Mobility (predecessor to Cingular and now AT&T) in Florida. Even back then I worked projects with radio and TV stations to use cellular for backup audio feeds. Worked reasonably well. Solid coverage 4G is still a ways off but you're right, it's coming. Ala Clearwire's WiMax service which is near wired speed.

Rick

 

[jcanupp]

If you are intrested in traffic, Capt. Herb and Metro Traffic still use the channels listed for AM750. They have a repeated "talkaround" that's very active and you will hear traffic problems ther before you do on the air.

 

[b7spectra]

A lot of what you don't hear on the WSB or Metro Traffic channels is sent to their cell phone as "MDT'" dispatches - in other words, they get a text message. Before anyone asks, those are the only two frequencies the traffic reporters use.