WPCNR MEDIA WIRE. March 22, 2008 UPDATED March 24, 2008 UPDATED MARCH 24, 2008, 3 PM EDT: Jim Kenny, White Plains Public Access Executive Director reports that WPPA-
TV's server has been repaired. Friday evening's programming is showing this afternoon on Channel 76, to test the server. Kenny attributed the Friday night blackout to a software problem which, working with the manufacturer of the server today, was corrected.
Jim Kenny, the station's Executive Director wrote today, "What happened on Friday is a totally different problem than any previous problem (experienced by the station.)"
White Plains Public Access officials reported to WPCNR Saturday morning that Friday's blackout of an hour and a half of programming on Channel 75 and 76 was caused by "a major hardware failure within the playback server." The regular schedule being in the computer server was unable to be cablecast, the programs being available only on digital files only in the computer server.
Cable server difficulties blacked out programming Friday, Saturday and today on Channel 76 and 75, Verizon FIOS channels 45 and 47. White Plains Week, the city news roundup show, a popular show shown on Fridays and Monday evenings may be viewed on the internet website, www.whiteplainsweek.com.
Kenny said Friday he and the technicians arrived at the station shortly after the stations went down and worked with technical support personnel, but have been unable to isolate the problem. Kinney said the station is capable of putting up the programming manually. He hoped to have the component, once identified, isolated and replaced to resume programming normally on Monday.
Sources familiar with the cable studio technical equipment are aware that the plant may be showing signs of strain and incompatibility with the upgrades (which included four different modulators installed in the last year)) they have undergone. The equipment has been made compatible to split signals to both Cablevision and Verizon FIOS and installation of recent new equipment modifications.
As of Sunday afternoon, Verizon FIOS channels 45 and 47, the public access and government channels were not cablecasting and had a slide up indicating technical difficulties. Channel 46, the White Plains City School District channel on Verizon FIOS was cablecasting, a viewer reports.
The School District Channel on Cablevision Channel 77 was showing typical slide announcements as was Channel 76. Channels 75 was displaying a message saying due to technical difficulties, cable television was not showing programs this weekend..
