WHIO works to restore signal

ajc.com

Repairs to the WHIO-TV broadcast tower in Dayton are underway because of damage discovered this week.

The station’s over-the-air signal weakened significantly this week after damage was discovered at the 1,000 foot broadcast tower. Viewers who get the signal over-the-air are affected, as well as those who use DISH or DirectTV.

Viewers using Spectrum or other cables services are not affected because they do not get their programming from the over-the-air signal.

“There is nothing more important to us than getting our programming restored to all of our viewers,” said Rob Rohr, general manager of WHIO-TV and market vice president of Cox Media Group Ohio. “We know how much our viewers rely on us, and we are sparing no resource to get us back on the air as soon as possible.”

Climbers have been working for days on the tower, which is almost 1,000 feet in the air – the equivalent of three football fields. In addition to the dangerous conditions, rain and ice have stymied progress. On Friday, the tower crew discovered more extensive damage than previously thought, which will require more time to repair.


How to watch Channel 7 and CBS programming

Local newscasts: All News Center 7 newscasts can be viewed free through these outlets:

- WHIO-TV streaming television app, available on Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV devices. Simply search for and download WHIO on those devises.

- WHIO.com and the WHIO news app for your phone or tablet. Just click on the red “live” button at the top of the page and click on “Watch TV Live.”

- The newscast live stream is available on many “Smart TVs” including Samsung, Yahoo and Vizio televisions.

CBS programming:

- Most CBS programming is available for free at CBS.com. In many cases, programming is aired one day later than normal. This programming does not include NCAA or NFL sports.

- Channel 7 can also be watched on cable systems like Spectrum, as well as with CBS All Access, Hulu, YouTubeTV, Playstation Vue, DirectTVNOW and Fubo. These include all CBS programming, aired at the normal time, but they are typically subscription services. Many offer free trials. These services will allow viewers to watch the NCAA LSU-Alabama game on Saturday and the NFL game Sunday between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens. Here is a breakdown of those services:

- CBS All Access: 1-week free trial; then $5.99 or $9.99 per month

- Hulu Live TV: 1 week free trial; after one week, cost is $44.99 per month

- YouTube TV: 2 week free trial; after two weeks, cost is $49.99 per month

- PlayStation Vue: 5-day free trial; after 5 days, cost is $49.99 per month

- Fubo: 1 week free trial; after one week, cost is $54.00 per month

- AT&T DirectTVNOW: 1 week free trial on some packages; then, costs start at $50 per month.

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