What channel do I get Southern Oregon PBS on?

Generally in Jackson and Josephine counties on channel 8. Generally in Klamath county on channel 22. Southern Oregon has very mountainous terrain which may block coverage from Channel 8. The chart below shows the most common channels for SOPBS's three program services.

Make Your Voice Heard
Want to see SOPBS World, Create, and Kids on satellite? Call your service provider to request the channel.

Translators
For over-the-air reception with an antenna, many translators relay our signal in areas not well served by our Channel 8 King Mountain transmitter site. You might try these channels:

• Brookings: Channel 15
• Cave Junction: Channel 22
• Gold Hill: Channel 27
• Grants Pass: Channel 19
• Phoenix (Ashland): Channel 34
• Pinehurst: Channel 13
• Prospect: Channel 2
• Ruch: Channel 13
• Shady Cove: Channel 13
• Williams: Channel 2

I want to use an outdoor antenna. What direction should I point it?

Your antenna quality and its placement are important. AntennaWeb, a web site run by the Consumer Electronics Association, can help you locate the precise distance and direction from your house to the nearest broadcast tower used by SOPBS. With the site's help, you should be able to set up your antenna to receive the best possible signal.

I ordered local channels on satellite, but I cannot receive SOPBS. Can I return to the National PBS service?

A satellite subscriber may still obtain network programming if the satellite company has elected not to provide local-into-local service. If you are unable to receive local broadcast TV stations over-the-air, you should install a rooftop antenna. If the installation of the outdoor over-the-air rooftop antenna does not provide the local broadcast TV stations you desire, you may qualify as an "unserved household." The term "unserved household" means a household or subscriber that:

• cannot receive, through the use of a conventional, stationary, outdoor rooftop antenna, an over-the-air network signal of Grade B intensity as defined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC);
• has a dish that is permanently attached to a recreational vehicle or a commercial truck; or
• is subject to a waiver granted by the television network station.

If you do qualify as an "unserved household," you are eligible to receive no more than two distant network affiliated signals per day for each TV network. A "distant signal" is one that originates outside of a satellite subscriber’s local television market, the DMA. For example, if your household is "unserved" you can receive no more than two ABC stations, no more than two NBC stations, etc. from outside your local broadcast market.

To receive these distant signals, contact your satellite company. If you do not qualify as an "unserved household," however, your satellite company will determine the channels you receive.

If you have questions about the availability of local-into-local service in your specific area, your eligibility to receive distant TV signals, the procedure for obtaining a waiver, or other specific information about your satellite service, you should contact your satellite company or distributor.

Why does the lip sync seem poor on some programs?

This is caused by the extensive use of video processing equipment especially in news programs where the program sources are originated from distant locations. This is a technical problem, which we are not able to resolve well here, but we are aware of it and are working with PBS to minimize its occurrence.

Why does the sound does not seem as loud on SOPBS as it is on other stations?

We operate our sound equipment to properly modulate our signal. Since we never shout at you, our sound quality is somewhat more restrained. Also, we attempt to maintain the correct proportion (dynamic range) of sound between the loudest and softest elements.

Why isn't closed captioning working for me?

Closed captioning is designed to assist deaf or hearing-impaired people, English Language Learners, young children learning to read and many others by displaying the dialogue or transcript of the audio portion of the program as printed words on the television screen. You can turn closed captioning on and off, or choose several different captioning services using your TV's remote control.

To report an issue with closed captioning, such as closed captioning suddenly stopping or becoming garbled during a captioned program or general questions about closed-captioning requirements for TV programming, please contact:

Brad Fay, Director of Content & Services.

• 541.779.0808, extension 224;
• bfay@sopbs.org
• SO PBS, 200 S. Fir, Ste. #200, Medford, OR 97501

Why has my TV reception recently changed or become worse?

TV and radio reception can be affected by many things: weather, trees, placement of objects (like cars, people or furniture), a building's materials and components, sunspots, and local terrain, among others.
Your antenna quality and its placement are also important. AntennaWeb, a Web site run by the Consumer Electronics Association, can help you locate the precise distance and direction from your house to the nearest broadcast tower used by SOPBS. With the site's help, you should be able to set up your antenna to receive the best possible signal.