WBZ-TV CBS 4 and WSBK-TV MyTV 38 have been off-the-air since Saturday afternoon after the stations experienced transmission issues.
WBZ-TV CBS 4 and WSBK-TV MyTV 38 have been off-the-air since Saturday afternoon after the stations experienced transmission issues.
Those who watch WBZ and WSBK on cable were most likely not affected because most cable companies receive a direct feed from television stations.
Viewers who rely on an over-the-air signal are still affected by the outage. Service that was previously disrupted on the DirectTV satellite service and on Charter cable have been restored. The stations signal on the Dish Network has been reportedly replaced by a CBS signal from Pittsburgh.
“WBZ-TV is working around the clock with tower crews to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. We will update you as more information becomes available,” Kerri Landry, director of communications for WBZ and WSBK said in a statement Sunday.
As of this writing, anyone trying to tune in to the New England Patriots game that started at 4:25pm on WBZ's over-the-air signal is out of luck. Viewers that are within signal range of WPRI-TV's transmitter in Rehoboth, Massachusetts can tune to WPRI 12.1 to watch the game. Some viewers in the Boston television market may also be close enough to watch the game on Hartford, Connecticut's WFSB 3.1, or Portland, Maine's WGME 13.1.
If you rely on an over-the-air signal, and none of those stations are within range, you can also listen to the Patriots game on the radio on Boston's 98.5 The Sports Hub, or on other stations affiliated with the Patriots radio network.
UPDATE: Both WBZ and WSBK are back broadcasting over-the-air at full power.
The station is posting updates to its website, which can be viewed here.
10/24 5:05pm: Over the air broadcast transmission of WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV has been restored.
Engineers replaced damaged sections of a transmission line that affected several Boston broadcast stations on Saturday at 4:20pm.
Power was restored today on WSBK-TV at 4:06pm and WBZ-TV at 4:12pm.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
10/24 10:50am: After the storm on Friday evening, a problem at a shared transmission site knocked out the signal for some WBZ-TV/WSBK-TV viewers from Saturday at 4:20pm until present.
As of this morning, tower crews found sections of a damaged transmission line at the top of the tower (at approximately 1,200 feet).
Engineers are on-site inspecting the antenna for any additional damage, and repairs are being made to the transmission line.
WBZ-TV/WSBK-TV are continuing to work with tower crews and engineers in restoring over-the-air broadcasting as quickly as possible.
We will update you as more information becomes available.
10/23 8:45pm: In a statement released by President and General Manager, Mark Lund:
Tonight, we would like to extend our sincere apologies to our loyal viewers.
There was a disruption of service over the past 24 hours, due to a transmission issue, that mainly affected our over-the-air viewers. We understand this is both frustrating and inconvenient.
Please know that WBZ-TV is continuing to work around the clock to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
We will continue to provide updates on air and on our website at cbsboston.com as more information becomes available.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
10/23 3:30p.m.: As of Sunday afternoon, the New England Patriots vs the Pittsburgh Steelers game will be available to previously disrupted Direct TV and Charter subscribers.
WBZ-TV is continuing to work to resolve service issues for other impacted viewers.
We will continue to update you as more information becomes available.
10/23 11:05 a.m.: On late Saturday afternoon, a problem at a shared transmission site knocked out the signal to some WBZ-TV viewers.
The outage has mainly affected Dish, Direct TV, and over-the-air viewers.
Most cable viewers have not been affected by the transmission issue.
WBZ-TV is working around the clock with tower crews to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
We will update you as more information becomes available.
