June 8th, 2009 
joel UPDATE: 12 News reported at 6:00 this evening that the analog shut-off of WICU will be happening by early Tuesday morning, June 9th. Plan on rescanning your digital TV or converter box in a couple days to receive WICU in full-power digital in the next few days.
Channel 12 isn’t going to make it to the 12th.
Erie’s oldest and only VHF television station will sign off it’s analog signal today, Monday, June 8, 2009 to enable station engineers to make the upgrades necessary to the transmission system for full-power digital by Friday, June 12th, the national DTV deadline. Of course anyone viewing over cable or satellite will not be affected, and over-the-air viewers can watch WICU programming this week on digital 35.3.
After their signoff, full-power analog television will be obsolete in the Erie market. Of course, we make the distinction between full-power and low-power stations, as some low-power stations will continue their analog broadcasts.
WICU signed on Channel 12 as Erie’s first television station on March 15, 1949. See images of its signon published in Life Magazine. For most of its existence, having a VHF signal was a significant advantage over the other three UHF commercial stations, 24, 35 & 66. With the advent of cable over 25 years ago, the advantage somewhat faded in the primary viewing areas, but was still important in those rural areas, where often they were only station coming in.
Now at digital channel 12, which is really 52, it will be WICU’s programming and promotion that will count, not a dial number.
Please write in any issues you are having seeing any of the Erie stations in digital.
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Any word on when WICU will go HD?
Isn’t WICU moving to digital 12, which is why they have to shut off analog 12 today?
Does anyone know if WICU-TV had a report on any of their newscasts announcing the shut-off of their Analog transmitter? WJET did a nice job with reports when they turned off their Analog in April. It would have been/would be nice if WICU celebrated the end of 60-plus years of Analog Broadcasting.
I think the WICU Promotions Department can be summed up in this famous question…..
“If a Tree falls in the Forest and no one is around does the Tree make a sound when it hits the ground???”
Considering the “lack” of promotion when WSEE moved into the WICU building last week and the ensuing fiasco maybe I shouldn’t be surprised at the lack of promotion coming out of 3514 these days.
They have been running hourly crawls, promos for weeks, and it was their top news story.
You’ve already stated you’re only watching WJET now so you’re forgiven for your ignorance.
Ignorance? Huh? I was just asking an honest question so I am “forgiven for my ignorance?”
I merely asked if they did a story about the end of 60 years of Analog Broadcasting….so I guess I will forgive you for your ignorance as well!
Since we are on the subject of “ignorance” someone please tell me just how long the news viewing public can be insulted by the WICU/WSEE collaboration?
Last night, again, I watch the same Lead story, written word-for-word on two seperate stations with the majority of the first block stacked exactly the same.
I’ve come to the conclusion that this is simple laziness. WJET-WXFP have been running two newscasts for years and at least the products are presented differently, even if the same stories are covered.
I’ve given a fair sampling as a viewer and now and am back on TV 24…for good.
R.I.P.
B.L. probably does not see any to change anything. He ran the ship on the rocks and as it sinks he will stand by and defend his leadership. ICU/SEE are merely shadows of themselves and as they sink into the sunset we can only rememeber the good old days. Will the last person leaving Erie please turn out the lights.
I agree with RIP WSEE. The newscasts being stacked the same and written word-for-word IS simple laziness, pure and simple! Why is it that WJET can put on newscasts on WFXP that are different but WICU cannot do the same with WSEE?
But what do I know? I’m ignorant – LOL!
I guess I don’t really notice the difference cause I watch one channel at a time. If you really notice all four stations basically run the same stories. I do agree that a different order would be nice but majority of us watch one at a time not two or three. Erie is just not big enough for all kinds of different news, unless you run national stories.
I’ve been called much worse than ignorant over the years. Hey, for the real story of what’s going on in TV, check out something called Mad Avenue Blues on youtube. It is worth the time for TV creatures like us.
WICU analog 12 signed off at about 10:30 this morning.
Does anyone have info as to when the transition to ota wicu 12.1 will be completed?
This is great. I would encourage those who want to learn more to check out my Unplug the Signal Campaign.
http://www.UnplugtheSignal.com
“Unplug the Signal” is a campaign to turn off televisions across the country. It draws attention to the gross manipulation of reality that is broadcast by the six major corporations controlling the content of television. The television has been used as a weapon of mass deception for the last half of a century as it manages society and culture through such techniques as perception management, predictive programming, and crisis creation. Unplugging the Signal is of urgent concern for the television remains our greatest threat to individual sovereignty and the largest obstacle to becoming a truly informed individual.