TransGuide Changes Channels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, May 25, 2006

SAN ANTONIO – The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) TransGuide’s Low-Power Television (LPTV) signal on UHF Channel 54 will be moving to UHF Channel 53 beginning on Tuesday, June 27, 2006.

Broadcasting live feed since 1996, the 1000-watt signal has been broadcasted by the local media during morning and afternoon traffic updates and emergency situations; the City of San Antonio’s Time Warner Cable Channel 21 (TVSA); and for the viewers at home within a 20-mile radius from the transmission signal that is located at the TxDOT District office. The feed is broadcasted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In 2003, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) auctioned off the broadcast rights for UHF Channel 54 in the San Antonio area to a private company. Since then, the TransGuide LPTV signal has been broadcasting under a Special Temporary Authority from the FCC and has been subject to the loss of the right to broadcast on UHF Channel 54 if the company that was granted the rights to Channel 54 decides to exercise its rights. After an investigation into available options to allow the continued broadcast of the TransGuide LPTV signal, TxDOT has been granted authority by the FCC to broadcast the TransGuide LPTV on UHF Channel 53 in the San Antonio area. The call sign for the TransGuide LPTV broadcast station will be K53JC.

"We are pleased that we were able to find a solution that will be allow TxDOT to continue providing this service to the San Antonio area," according to Brian Fariello, P.E., Traffic Management Engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation.

Over the next several weeks, the required modifications to the broadcast equipment will be made by TxDOT and its contractors. It is TxDOT's intention to continue to broadcast the TransGuide LPTV signal with minimal interruptions, however, some down times will be experienced. During the transition period, it will be necessary to reduce the strength of the broadcast signal from 1000 Watts to 500 Watts.

For more information, please contact Maggie Rios at (210) 615-5836 or Laura Lopez at (210) 615-5839.