Independent Midwest Broadcaster selects Rohde & Schwarz TE1 liquid-cooled transmitter to expand audience reach

Competitive search leads Toledo’s WLMB-TV 40 to TE1 based on energy efficiency and durability

As part of its effort to reach a wider audience, the Toledo-based, independent broadcaster WLMB-TV 40 selected an R&S®TE1 high-powered transmitter with 10 amplifiers based on the TE1’s energy efficient liquid-cooled design, reduced cost of ownership, and reliability. WLMB-TV has served Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan a roster of devotional and family friendly programming since 1998 but wanted to expand its potential viewership.

The station switched from its VHF band to UHF after winning a bid for CH35 and needed a new transmitter to support the higher frequency, provide the necessary increase in power and enhance its broadcast quality and coverage area. With the new TE1 transmitter, WLMB-TV increases its audience reach by 28 percent, from 1.8 million households to 2.3 million. “The power jump from VHF to UHF is substantial,” said Daniel Proshek, Senior Broadcast Engineer for WLMB-TV.

“Once we were assigned the new UHF channel, we needed to find a way to maximize efficiency and minimize cost. As a non-profit, we’re very conscious of how we spend our dollars. We raised all the money for the transmitter through an on-air donation drive. The goal of WLMB is to invest back in our community. They trust us, and we work hard to maintain that trust. Moving to UHF could prove an expensive upgrade if not handled wisely. We spent a lot of time calculating and researching this decision. We estimate that the energy savings of the TE1 will pay for itself within three years,” said Dr. Jamey Schmitz, President and CEO of WLMB-TV.

The reliability of the Rohde & Schwarz TE1 was another strong point in its favor for WLMB-TV. “We’re pleased that our efforts will empower WLMB-TV to better serve their audience and community,” said Erik Balladares, Vice President Sales, Broadcast at Rohde & Schwarz. “In addition to the energy savings, the TE1 is built to last beyond a decade of broadcast up time.”

The engineering team at WLMB-TV did an extensive amount of competitive research before reaching a final decision. They spoke with respected broadcast engineers and met with manufacturers at trade shows. During the NAB 2024 show in April, the decision was made to purchase the TE1 from Rohde & Schwarz based on its energy efficiency (lower energy costs), ATSC 3.0 readiness, and durability. The sign-on of the new transmitter began on October 2, 2024, making WLMB-TV 40 TOLEDO the first in the world to sign-on the brand-new Rohde & Schwarz TE1. With the transmitter switch, WLMB achieved its two primary goals of increasing its broadcast audience reach while simultaneously reducing its operational costs.

“Our end goal is to bring uplifting Christian and wholesome family shows with the highest technical quality standards possible to our current audience and beyond,” added Schmitz. “The Rohde &Schwarz TE1 is helping us make that happen.”

Introduced during the 2024 NAB Las Vegas show, the R&S®TE1 is an ATSC 3.0 native transmitter that turns challenges into opportunities for broadcasters to unlock engaging, revenue-rich digital services. The R&S®TE1 is at least 15% more energy efficient than even the best current designs, and 40% more efficient than the average installed base. The proven Rohde & Schwarz liquid-cooled transmitter technology ensures heat from the amplifiers is efficiently dissipated outside, eliminating the need for power-intensive air conditioning. The design eliminates single points of failures, and the intelligent software control layer ensures that over the lifetime of the transmitter the optimal efficiency is maintained throughout self-adaptation.