OTTUMWA — Non-cable television viewers in parts of Southern Iowa won’t be able to watch “Antiques Roadshow,” “Are You Being Served?” or even “Sesame Street.”
That’s because Iowa Public Television this week has begun construction on a new tower, antenna, transmitter and building as the network prepares to offer its service on a different channel in the Ottumwa area. IPTV’s service via Channel 33 in Ottumwa has been displaced by a digital channel from KTVO-TV in Kirksville, Mo.
IPTV Spokeswoman Jennifer Glover Konfrst told the Courier Thursday that viewers who receive Iowa Public Television over-the-air will be unable to see IPTV programming until the project is complete in June. Viewers who receive Iowa Public Television via cable, however, will still be able to receive IPTV programming.
Konfrst concedes the two-month upgrade will prove inconvenient for non-cable viewers of IPTV.
“It is a long process and that is the shortest amount of time [to get the work done],” she said.
The new construction will take place next to the existing tower, located about 3-1/2 miles southeast of Ottumwa. The new tower will stand 500 feet tall. The old tower is slightly shorter at 478 feet. The new tower also will serve as a new home for Iowa Public Radio — another entity some in Southern Iowa have complained did not reach this part of the state.
Criticism about IPTV making the decision to upgrade service to Southern Iowa only after the station’s most fundraising effort, Konfrst said, is unfounded.
The decision to make the upgrade at this time was mainly about weather and contracts, she said, adding “the timing was just coincidental.
“We do understand the frustration,” Konfrst said. “We appreciate your patience with this issue. We’re doing all we can.”
Konfrst also said once the upgrade is completed, the quality of the signal will be much better for the 24,800 households in Southern Iowa that currently receive IPTV.
“This has been an issue that’s been going on for a few years,” she said, noting that many non-cable television viewers were already tolerating a “fuzzy” signal.
Once the work is finished, non-cable viewers in the Ottumwa area will be able to view IPTV on Channel 18.
“It took awhile to find a new channel — 18. It will reach more people. We’ve been working very hard for several years,” Konfrst said. “More viewers will be able to get our service and again, we’re sorry about the inconvenience.”
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IPTV off the air for some Ottumwa-area viewers
Two-month wpgrade will prove inconvenient for non-cable viewers
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