MAINE, USA — Maine — Good news!
On March 11th at 7:00am WCSH changed frequencies to meet the requirements of the Federally mandated FCC Frequency Repack. This change required viewers who receive WCSH programing using an over the air antenna to RE-SCAN their television.
NOTE: This does not impact our WLBZ viewers in the greater Bangor area.
This project affected not just us, but thousands of TV stations across the country and here in Maine. So, when you rescan, you may discover even more great programming you didn’t even know existed!
When the time comes, here are some instructions to get your TV rescanned.
Below we rounded up some frequently asked questions regarding a rescan.
What is it?
If you watch TV with an antenna or use a digital convertor box, this frequency change may have affected you. If it did, you’ll need to re-scan your TV so you can start receiving NEWS CENTER Maine and our sub-channels on WCSH.
Why do I need to Re-Scan?
If you want to resume watching your favorite shows on NEWS CENTER Maine on WCSH including local news, the Today Show, Nightly News and NBC’s primetime line-up, you’ll need to re-scan your TV.
How do I do it?
We've included a number of links here with easy-to-follow, step-by-step, illustrated instructions to SOME of the most popular brands of televisions.
Check it out!
Check out the new antenna Dielectric, LLC in Lewiston is building for WCSH.
LG
Panasonic
Philips
Samsung
Sony
Toshiba
Vizio
Additional Resources:
I don't see my brand listed. What do I do?
Even among manufacturers, each television has its own steps for rescanning. Every remote is different, too, and often the words ENTER, OK, or SELECT are interchangeable. The process is essentially the same.
In general, you need to get into the brains of your television to TELL it what you want to see. If you still have the owner's manual for your TV or converter box, now would be a great time to find it. We have included links here to popular television brands. You can use those links to find your model of television (usually shown on the rear of your set) to get the manual that matches.
To begin scanning for channels, use your remote to find the MENU or SETUP or SETTINGS function. The UP/DOWN and LEFT/RIGHT buttons help you move from step to step through the on-screen menu.
GENERAL GUIDE
1 – Press the MENU button on your television or converter box remote.
2 – Go to SETUP or SETTINGS.
3 – Go to INSTALLATION or SYSTEM or CHANNELS.
4 – Go to AUTOPROGRAM, AUTOSCAN, AUTOTUNING, PROGRAM CHANNELS, or SCAN CHANNELS.
5 – Press ENTER, OK, or SELECT to start the scan.
6 – Some televisions may warn you that starting a scan will reprogram your channels. That's OK! Reprogramming your tuner is exactly what you want to do to access the upgrades and new channels.
7 – Once the scan starts, it can take just a few minutes or 15 – 30 minutes to complete. DON"T stop the process once it starts.
8 – At this point, your scan should be done. Many televisions quit the process on their own, with others, you may need to select OK or EXIT on your remote.
NOTE: Some manufacturers have you use the LEFT/RIGHT arrow to access menu functions. Sometimes they throw you a curve ball and make the CHANNEL UP/DOWN and VOLUME UP/DOWN double as menu navigation. It can be a bit tricky, but if you're familiar with your television remote, you already know this stuff.
Tip: Make sure your antenna has a clear, 360-degree view with no obstructions. If you are using a rabbit-ears style of indoor antenna, you may need to adjust it to maximize your digital signal. Unlike the "old days," if the digital signal is too weak, your tuner will not be able to decode and display the channel.
What now?
If all has gone according to plan next month, you’ll be getting a stronger NEWS CENTER Maine on WCSH signal, which means a better picture for all your favorite shows!
Please let us know if there is anything else we can help with.