JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s no secret that WJXT has been the most trusted source of local news for Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia year after year. But recently, thousands of viewers haven’t been able to enjoy their favorite programs because of an ongoing issue with DirecTV.
The problem, which affects an estimated 75,000 households, boils down to signal interference. Instead of the crisp picture and audio viewers are used to getting, newscasts and other programming have come into their homes with a fuzzy, pixilated display or without audio.
News4Jax’s engineers have been studying the problem for more than two months in the hopes of pinning down the cause. They suspect the problem began once the satellite provider moved its receiver to a new location on Pearl Street in downtown Jacksonville.
"We thought it had gone away, but in the last two weeks we’ve gotten a lot of calls and emails," said James Lowery, chief engineer at WJXT and WCJW. " … Could be their amplifiers, could be their antenna, could be the way that they are distributing the gear."
WJXT Vice President and General Manager Bob Ellis pointed out that the signal WJXT and WCWJ are transmitting are perfect and are being received accordingly by every other provider. He said he looks forward to a resolution.
"We want our customers to be able to see their favorite shows and watch their favorite newscasts with a perfect signal," said Ellis. "And it can happen. It’s just going to take a little work on DirecTV’s side to get it done."
A spokesperson for DirecTV parent company AT&T said the company is "aware of an issue with these local networks and are working with all involved parties to resolve it."
Affected subscribers are encouraged to contact their satellite provider by dialing 1-800-DIRECTV, or 1-800-347-3288. The company’s customer service department can also be reached by clicking here.
In addition, you can always watch our live stream on News4Jax.com. Or you can buy an over-the-air antenna for as little as $10 to get continued access to a handful of channels, including WJXT and WCWJ, free of charges.