|
Property sale leads to loss of WLOS signal for some
By Carey Phillips
The WLOS-TV translator that serves the Sylva area is no longer operational, which means people without cable or satellite television no longer have access to the ABC affiliate.
The loss of the Asheville station, the only one in this market with news devoted primarily to Western North Carolina, has caused some local officials to express concern about public safety in case of an emergency or extreme weather conditions.
The translator, which rebroadcasts the WLOS signal on channel 5, has operated from a site on Kitchens Branch since 1974. It went off the air about three weeks ago when the lease expired and a new property owner chose not to renew it, according to Jack Connors, general manager for WLOS.
Records on the Jackson County Register of Deeds Web site show the parcel is part of a tract of more than 190 acres purchased last year by Balsams Ridge LLC. The records list the firm with a post office box in Crescent City, Fla.
Jim Carrier, chief engineer for WLOS, said the station had negotiated with a representative of the new owner for about a year, but no agreement was reached.
The station is hoping to find another site for the translator. One site was looked at but was not suitable, and another is being looked at now, Carrier said.
WLOS beams its signal on channel 13 from its transmitter on Mt. Pisgah. A translator site would have to receive a clear signal from Mt. Pisgah, which could then be rebroadcast to the surrounding area.
“I would love to find a new location,” Connors said.
The first WLOS translator serving Sylva was located on Kings Mountain and went online in 1964. It was moved to Kitchens Branch 10 years later because that location received a better signal from Mt. Pisgah.
With cable and satellite television, the number of homes relying on the translator to receive WLOS has dropped dramatically over the last several years. A WLOS survey showed less than 1,000 area homes were receiving the signal on channel 5.
Even so, some Sylva and Jackson County officials wonder if emergency information will now be harder to get to citizens.
“If we were to have an emergency, how would the citizens who still rely on over-the-air transmissions receive information?” asked Sylva Manager Jay Denton. “A lot of people with satellites still have antennas in the event of a hard rain that causes the satellite signal to go out.”
“In some ways it’s a concern,” said Mike Ensley, emergency management coordinator for Jackson County. “A lot of local people still use an antenna. It’s important for weather events and other warnings.”
Commissioners’ Chairman Brian McMahan said he would be contacting WLOS to try to find a solution.
“It’s a concern for weather and other emergency situations,” McMahan said. “It’s an important media outlet for people who may not be able to receive cable or satellite.”
Robert Baldwin of Barkers Creek said the WLOS signal from channel 5 was the only television station he received.
“I’m missing it something awful,” he said. “I bought an antenna, and channel 5 came in real good. There’s a lot about Sylva on the station.”
Lois Danner of Dills Cove has satellite, but has relied on translators for local stations.
“I think it’s important to have your local news, especially with winter coming up,” she said. “There’s a lot of elderly people who can’t afford cable or satellite.”
|
