Distributed transmission system (DTS) broadcast prospects are helped by the Metropolitan TV Alliance's request to test the technology in N.Y.C., said Merrill Weiss, a consultant who has works with DTS. "Certainly, that adds credibility to what we've been doing elsewhere," Weiss said. DTS allows TV broadcasters to use multiple, smaller towers transmitting in a cell-like grid identical signals to provide over-the-air TV coverage to receivers underserved by a traditional high-power tall broadcast tower. N.Y. broadcasters lost their perch atop the World Trade Center in 2001, and have since leased space on the Empire State Building. Aug. 2, a consortium of N.Y.C. TV stations asked the Commission for permission to test a DTS system (CD Aug 8 p9).

N.Y. broadcasters aren't prepared to discuss their technical facilities yet because the test plans aren't finalized, said Alton Stalker of the Alliance's technical group. But the test will probably face challenges unique to Manhattan's concrete jungle, said Weiss. "Just the fact that you've got all the high rises and all the echos and obstruction they create, means that if you want to get strong signal levels into those buildings you would have to take a different approach than you would in Johnstown or State College, Pa.," Weiss said, referring to other test sites. The trickiest part about DTS is synchronizing the signals across every transmitter, said NAB Senior Vp-Technology Lynne Claudy: "They have to be exact copies of each other; otherwise the receivers won't be able to understand the signals coming in."

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