List of North American broadcast station classes Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! == TV == {{Confusing section|date=April 2011}} {{Incomplete list|date=August 2008}} === Full-power stations in the US === * VHF low (2-6): 100 kW video analog at {{convert|1,000|ft|m|0|abbr=off|sp=us}} in Zone I and {{convert|2,000|ft|m|0|abbr=off|sp=us}} in Zone II and Zone III above average terrain; 10 kW in Zone I and 45 kW in Zone II and Zone III digital at {{convert|1,000|ft|m|0|abbr=off|sp=us}} above average terrain * VHF high (7-13): 316 kW video analog at {{convert|1,000|ft|m|0|abbr=off|sp=us}} in Zone I and {{convert|2,000|ft|m|0|abbr=off|sp=us}} in Zone II and Zone III above average terrain; 30 kW in Zone I and 160 kW in Zone II and Zone III digital at {{convert|1,000|ft|m|0|abbr=off|sp=us}} above average terrain * UHF (14-36): {{convert|5|MW|kW|abbr=on}} video analog at {{convert|2,000|ft|m|0|abbr=off|sp=us}} above average terrain; {{convert|1|MW|kW|abbr=on}} digital at {{convert|2,000|ft|m|0|abbr=off|sp=us}} above average terrain '''Notes:''' All full-power analog television station transmissions in the US were terminated at midnight [[Eastern Daylight Time]] on June 12, 2009.<ref>[http://www.dtvtransition.org/ A New Era in Television Broadcasting] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071123122408/http://www.dtvtransition.org/ |date=2007-11-23 }} - DTVTransition.org</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/Horizons/2009/0204/congress-delays-dtv-switch|title=Congress delays DTV switch|date=4 February 2009|journal=Christian Science Monitor}}</ref> Many broadcasters replaced their analog signal with their digital [[ATSC]] signal on the same transmission channel at that time. * All US digital stations received a -DT suffix during the analog-to-digital transition. At analog shutdown, the FCC assigned to each digital station the call sign its associated analog station had used. (with a -TV suffix if the analog station had this suffix, without the -TV suffix if the analog station didn't have it). Stations could optionally choose to keep the -DT suffix.<ref>http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-1253A1.txt - FCC DA-09-1253</ref> Most stations did not keep the -DT suffix.<ref>http://licensing.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/sta_sear.htm Searching for the -DT suffix returns only 91 stations; -TV returns 903, searching for TV stations with no suffix at all returns 1,827. Searches conducted 29 Jan 2011.</ref> * For US analog stations, the -TV suffix was required if there was a radio station with the same three- or four-letter callsign. Stations not required to use the -TV suffix may optionally request it if desired. * Analog audio power was limited to 22% of video.<ref>http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2009/octqtr/47cfr73.1560.htm - FCC regulation 73.1560(c)(2)</ref> === Full-power stations in Canada === * Class A: UHF, 10 kW video/{{convert|100|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} [[EHAAT]] * Class B: UHF, 100 kW video/{{convert|150|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} [[EHAAT]] * Class C: UHF, {{convert|1|MW|kW|abbr=on}} video/{{convert|300|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} [[EHAAT]] (?) * Class D: UHF, more than {{convert|1|MW|kW|abbr=on}}/{{convert|300|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} [[EHAAT]] * Class R: VHF, 100 kW low-band (channels 2–6), 325 kW high-band. (channels 7-13) * Class S: VHF, more than 100 kW low-band/325 kW high-band. Notes: * Official definitions of these classes are difficult to locate. The values above are inferred from the [https://web.archive.org/web/20131207042211/http://spectrum.ic.gc.ca/engineering/engdoc/baserad.zip Industry Canada database]. There is some ambiguity about the difference between Classes C and D. * Power-level limitations are not firmly enforced in Canada, and [[Industry Canada]] has been known to license stations for power levels much higher than the generally accepted limits. For example, [[CFRN-TV]] in [[Edmonton]], [[Alberta]] operated on Channel 3 at over 600 kW but was not subject to international co-ordination due to its location {{convert|500|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} north of the border. * In Canada, the callsigns of all private TV stations have the -TV suffix. Most [[CBC Television]] and [[Ici Radio-Canada Télé]] TV callsigns end in the letter T and have no suffix. A few Radio-Canada stations, purchased by the CBC from private owners, retain the old -TV callsigns. * Canadian digital stations all receive the -DT suffix. (this includes CBC and Radio-Canada stations) The [https://web.archive.org/web/20131207042211/http://spectrum.ic.gc.ca/engineering/engdoc/baserad.zip Industry Canada database] shows -PT suffixes for the channel allotments for permanent post-transition digital operation but when licences are issued for these permanent digital stations, -DT callsigns are used. === Low-power TV (US) === {{Confusing section|date=April 2011}} [[LPTV]] (secondary) (suffix: -LP, or a sequential-numbered callsign in format W##XX with no suffix for analog or with -D suffix for digital, or -LD for low-power digital stations): * VHF: 3 kW analog video; 3 kW digital * UHF: 150 kW analog video; 15 kW digital * Experimental * Unlicensed: not allowed except for [[medical]] [[telemetry]], and certain [[wireless microphone]]s The LPTV (low-power television) service was created in 1982 by the FCC to allocate channels for smaller, local stations, and community channels, such as [[Public-access television|public access]] stations. LPTV stations that meet additional requirements such as children's "[[E/I]]" core programming and [[Emergency Alert System]] broadcasting capabilities can qualify for a [[Class A television service|Class A (-CA)]] license.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/lptv.html|title=Low Power Television (LPTV) Service|date=17 May 2011|website=fcc.gov}}</ref> [[Broadcast translator]]s, [[Broadcast translator#Boosters and distributed transmission|boosters]], and other [[LPTV|LPTV stations]] are considered secondary to full-power stations, unless they have upgraded to class A. Class A is still considered LPTV with respect to stations in Canada and Mexico. ==== Class A television (US) ==== {{main|Class A television service}} {{Confusing section|date=April 2011}} '''Class-A''' stations (US) (suffix: -CA or -CD for digital class A): * VHF: 3 kW analog video; 3 kW digital * UHF: 150 kW analog video; 15 kW digital The class-A television class is a variant of LPTV created in 2000 by the FCC to allocate and protect some low-power affiliates. Class-A stations are still low-power, but are protected from [[RF interference]] and from having to change channel should a full-service station request that channel.<ref>http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Orders/2001/fcc01123.txt {{Bare URL plain text|date=March 2022}}</ref> Additionally, class-A stations, LPTV stations, and translators are the only stations currently authorized to broadcast both analog and digital signals, unlike full-power stations which must broadcast a digital signal only. === Low-power TV (Canada) === In Canada, there is no formal transmission power below which a television transmitter is considered broadcasting at low power. Industry Canada considers that a low power digital television undertaking "shall not normally extend a distance of 20 km in any direction from the antenna site," based on the determined noise-limited bounding contour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/vwapj/bpr10-i1.pdf/$FILE/bpr10-i1.pdf|title=Part 10: Application and Procedures and Rules for Digital Television (DTV) Undertakings|website=ic.gc.ca}}</ref> === Mexico === All digital television stations in Mexico have '''-TDT''' callsign suffixes. Analog stations, which existed until December 31, 2016, had '''-TV''' callsign suffixes. The equivalent of low power or translator service in Mexico is the ''equipo complementario de zona de sombra'', which is intended only to fill in gaps between a station's expected and actual service area caused by terrain; a station of this type shares the callsign of another station. In analog, these services often were broadcast on the same or adjacent channels to their parent station, except in certain areas with tight packing of television stations (such as central Mexico). In digital, these services usually operate on the same RF channel as their parent station, except for those with conflicting full-power applications ([[XHBS-TDT]] Cd. Obregón, Son., channel 30 instead of 25), in certain other cases where it is technically not feasible ([[XHAW-TDT]] Guadalupe, NL, channel 26 instead of 25) or to make way for eventual repacking on upper UHF ([[XHPNW-TDT]] has four shadows on 33, its post-repacking channel, instead of 39). ''Equipos complementarios'' can relay their parent station, or a station that carries 75% or more of the same programming as its parent station.<ref>[http://www.ift.org.mx/sites/default/files/2016-12-30dof-diariooficialdelafederacion.pdf IFT: Disposición Técnica IFT-013-2016 "Especificaciones y requerimientos mínimos para la instalación y operación de estaciones de televisión, equipos auxiliares y equipos complementarios"], which became effective on January 1, 2017, provides the guidelines for the operation of digital television stations and their shadows.</ref> Stations of either type may have unusually low or high effective radiated powers. [[XHSMI-TDT]] in Oaxaca is licensed for two watts in digital. The highest-powered shadows are [[XEQ-TDT]] Toluca and [[XHBS-TDT]] Ciudad Obregón, both at 200 kW. === FCC service table === The United States [[Federal Communications Commission]] lists the following services on their website for television broadcasting: {| class="wikitable" |- ! Broadcast class ! Service ! Suffixes used or call sign examples |- | Television [[table of allotments|allotment]] (analog) | TA | An allocation of a frequency to a [[city of license]] for which no corresponding call sign or license has been assigned. FCC placeholder for possible future construction permits or frequencies allocated to non-US broadcast use. No call sign, identifier is a date (yymmdd) followed by a sequential two-letter value in the US FCC database. |- | Full-service TV (analog) | TV | '''-TV''' or '''none''' (such as "[[KRON-TV]]" and "[[KTLA]]") Since the shutdown of all full power analog stations in June 2009, used only for historical records. |- | Class A (analog) | CA | '''-CA''', or a translator-style call sign (such as "[[KTFB-CA]]") |- | Low-power station (analog) or translator | LP | '''-LP''', or a translator-style call sign (such as "[[KDMD-LP]]" and "[[K13IO]]" with the 2 digits denoting the channel of operation) |- | TV [[Broadcast translator#Boosters and distributed transmission|boosters]] | TB | Rare. These use the parent station's call sign plus a sequential number, such as [[WSTE|WSTE1]], [[WSTE|WSTE2]], [[WSTE|WSTE3]]. Nameplates for on-channel [[repeater]]s bear the parent station's call sign, followed by "booster".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr;sid=;rgn=div5;view=text;node=47%3A4.0.1.1.3;idno=47;cc=ecfr#47:4.0.1.1.3.7.3.12|title=US CFR 47 Part 74G - 74.733 UHF translator signal boosters.|website=gpoaccess.gov|access-date=2008-07-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305205415/http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr;sid=;rgn=div5;view=text;node=47:4.0.1.1.3;idno=47;cc=ecfr#47:4.0.1.1.3.7.3.12|archive-date=2012-03-05|url-status=dead}}</ref> See [[distributed transmission]]. If the station is digital, and has on-channel boosters, they would typically be named [[WSTE|WSTE-DT1]], [[WSTE|WSTE-DT2]], [[WSTE|WSTE-DT3]] and so on. |- | TV auxiliary (analog backup) service | TS | no specific suffix (uses same call sign as main transmitter) |- | NTSC (analog) petition for a channel change | NN | no specific suffix; uses same call sign as the station which made a request for a number/channel change (for NTSC/analog stations, and low-power repeaters, such as those registered as TX). |- | Digital Television<br />(full power) | DT | '''-DT''', '''-TV''' or '''none''' (such as [[KGLA-DT]], [[WSKY-TV]] or [[KOHD]]). Some stations formerly used '''-HD''', but this has become obsolete (though it may sometimes still be seen identifying the station's main subchannel in a [[Program and System Information Protocol|PSIP]] listing). The -DT suffix, optional for digital-only stations, was used primarily to distinguish a DTV transmission from an analog signal of the same broadcast (or is seen identifying the main subchannel of a station on a PSIP display); likewise, -TV is optional except if the eponymous radio stations exist. A similar suffix '''-DTV''', is used on all television stations in [[Japan]]. |- | Digital Class-A | CD | '''-CD''' (such as "[[WDNI-CD]]" and "[[WYYW-CD]]") Some stations briefly used '''-DC''' as well (this has since become obsolete). A scant few still use translator-style call signs with the '''-D''' suffix (such as "[[KBMT-LD|K36ID-D]]"). |- | Digital Low-power | LD | '''-LD''' or translator-style calls with '''-D''' suffix (such as "[[WBND-LD]]" and "[[W25AA-D]]"), occasionally no suffix (uses same call sign as main transmitter). Some stations briefly used '''-DL''' as well (this has since become obsolete). Some full-powered stations (such as [[WOIO]], [[WXMI]] and [[WLS-TV]]) have been granted approval for fill-in translators within their broadcast market to better cover outlying towns or heavily urbanied areas, particularly by stations with a VHF digital signal. These are technically -LD stations, but have the same call-sign as their parent station (such as WLS-TV or WOIO, and ''not'' as WLS-LD or WOIO-LD, though they could be considered as such for ease of differentiating the low-power repeater from its parent), similar to a Distributed Transmission System (but on different frequencies). |- | Digital [[special temporary authority]] (STA) | DS | no specific suffix; uses same call sign as station making a request for permission from the FCC to use a channel, power level or transmitter location not permanently allocated for one particular station. Temporary assignments retain, unmodified, the call sign of the corresponding permanent allocation; this includes translator-style calls (a format, such as W[[Channel 55 (disambiguation)|55]]<nowiki>ZZ</nowiki>-D, based on RF channel number plus a sequential identifier) even on those temporarily moving to another frequency. |- | Digital Television [[distributed transmission system]] (multiple transmitter sites) | DD | no specific suffix (uses same call sign as main transmitter); this is usually requested for a [[single-frequency network]] and to tailor coverage area to the needs of the viewers in the station's service area (such as covering towns and farmland, and not mountainous terrain or the ocean) |- | Digital auxiliary (backup) service | DX<br />(not to be confused with [[DXing]]) | no specific suffix (uses same call sign as main transmitter) |- | Digital [[rulemaking]] petition | DR | no specific suffix; uses same call sign as station making this request to add or modify a digital channel allocation |- | Land mobile use of a TV channel (TV RF channels 14-20 only) | LM | As "LM" is used in the FCC database to indicate reallocation of an entire channel, but not to identify individual users transmitting in that spectrum, a 6 MHz LM allocation does not itself carry a TV-style call sign. The spectrum of TV channels 14-20 is called "T-band" in LMR use.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?state=&call=&arn=&city=&chan=&cha2=69&serv=LM&type=0&facid=&list=1&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&size=9|title=TV Query Results -- Video Division (FCC) USA|website=www.fcc.gov}}</ref> Repeaters that operate in such an allocation use a 3 MHz offset instead of 5 MHz as normally used in the 450-470 MHz range. |- | [[ATSC#ATSC 3.0|ATSC 3.0 Futurecast]] Experimental Broadcasts | EX | Used for officially licensed experimental [[4K resolution|4K]]/[[2160p]] [[Ultra HDTV]] broadcast stations, such as [[WRAL-TV]]'s UHDTV simulcast, WRAL-EX. |- |} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. 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