KJLA in Ventura, Calif., has asked the FCC for permission to cease analog broadcasting on Channel 57, surrender its license for the channel, and operate as a digital-only television station on Channel 49. The FCC stated it would consider requests from stations to vacate their analog channels in spectrum above Channel 51 that has been reallocated to other services.
KJLA's analog transmitter is located north of Los Angeles, and is not receivable in the most populated portions of the Los Angeles DMA due to terrain shadowing. It holds a construction permit for a maximum power 1,000 kW digital facility at Mount Wilson, the main antenna farm for the Los Angeles DMA.
Little additional information is available in the Public Notice DA 04-2129 announcing the request.
