FOX 5 San Diego –High-Definition Media Specifications
These guidelines are intended to help you prepare your content in a format to ingest seamlessly and get your product on the air. In order to deliver the best picture possible FOX 5 utilizes a completely digital production environment, so we ask you to deliver commercials electronically. If you’re not able to supply a high-definition spot, all standard definition commercials will be presented in 4:3 aspect ratio with pillar box wings on each side.
DELIVERY
Digital files must be delivered to KSWB at least three business days prior to air (this does not include holidays or weekends).
Preferred Method of Delivery (Vendors listed below will charge a separate deliver fee)
- Centaur http://www.centaurstorage.com/
- Extreme Reach http://www.extremereach.com/
- EZ Spot http://www.onthespotmedia.com/
- Aberdeen https://www.abercap.com/services/captioning/
- Spot Traffic http://www.spottraffic.com/
Just let these providers know that you are sending to KSWB SAN and they will handle all the file preparation and delivery for you in one simple step. This includes delivery notification, changing the format for each station you are sending to, and providing all the technical settings and support for a high-quality, high-definition commercial.
Secondary Method of Delivery
- FTP services
- Hightail
- Dropbox
- Mail or courier delivery
VIDEO/AUDIO FORMATTING FOR SECONDARY DELIVERY
Format: MPEG 2
Frame Size: 720P HD 1280×720
Frame Rate: 59.94
Video Bit Rate: 35 mbps
Codec: .gxf or .mov (XDCAM EX)
Audio: Left/Right Stereo
Audio sampling rate 48.0khz
Audio Format: PCM
FILE SET-UP CONVENTIONS FOR SECONDARY DELIVERY
One spot per file
One second Slate: Client Name, ISCI number, Length and Date
Leader after slate: 2 Seconds
Tail after spot: 1 second
Commercial material must be correct length
FILE NAMING CONVENTIONS FOR SECONDARY DELIVERY
Use ISCI code as file name
DO NOT include any spaces or dashes in file name
AVOID using these symbols in file name: ? [ ] / \ = + < > : ; ” , * |
.gxf or .mov are the only acceptable extensions
For security reasons any other extension name will cause files to be automatically removed, such as:
exe, bat, com, com, html, rar – to name a few.
SAFE TITLE GRAPHICS
Commercials airing in HD have the larger 16:9 viewing area. If you are advertising on either ThisTV or AntennaTV you will need graphics closer to the center, also known as 4:3 Safe.

MAIL DELIVERY
Spots can be mailed on a DVD-ROM or BD-ROM (Blu-ray) as a data file. If you can watch on a DVD player you have the wrong format. Please clearly label the disk with the contents and advertiser name.
Please deliver all content to:
Fox 5 Traffic Department
7191 Engineer Rd.
San Diego, Ca. 92111
Phone: 858-496-0261
Fax: 858-268-0747
Email: SanDiegoTraffic@nexstar.tv
FOX 5 FTP INFORMATION
KSWB uses a secure file transfer solution (SFTP). Contact your account manager or KSWB continuity for address and password.
Create a new folder with the name of the client or advertiser and upload files into folder. Files older than 30 days will be removed.
SFTP, which stands for SSH File Transfer Protocol, or Secure File Transfer Protocol, is a separate protocol packaged with SSH that works in a similar way over a secure connection. The advantage is the ability to leverage a secure connection to transfer files and traverse the file system on both the local and remote system. In almost all cases, SFTP is preferable to FTP because of its underlying security features and ability to piggyback on an SSH connection.
FAQ
Q: Can my spots air on Antenna-TV or ThisTV?
A: Yes! Spots on sub-channels air in 4:3 Standard Definition but can be submitted in HD or SD. Just be aware that HD spots for AntennaTV and ThisTV will be cropped to fit the 4:3 television aspect ratios and must be graphics and titles should be 4:3 safe.
Q: How come different stations in the same city have different specifications?
A: Each station in a television market use different types of equipment to play files on the air or have a different on air signal. These reasons change the file type – which is why we recommend a delivery service.
Q: Tell me about closed captioning on commercials.
A: Short-form commercials do not require closed captioning. However long-form paid advertising, (28:30 or longer) require both EIA 608 and CEA 708 closed captioning, and must be supplied in the program.
Q: Can I attach my commercial to an email and send it that way?
A: Unfortunately, most email programs place a size restriction on attachment sizes. Larger attachments are often returned undelivered to sender..
Q: Can I use a different electronic delivery service, than the ones listed?
A: We strive to keep as many options available to you, but each delivery service requires different equipment and specifications. If you find an amazing service – let us know so we can get in touch with them.
Q: Will you store my commercials for me?
A: For a limited time – yes. We keep digital files during your commercial broadcast schedule. After your schedule ends our system will remove files within 90-120 days.
Q: Who can I contact for questions?
A: For scheduling questions – Phone: (858) 496-0261 or Email: SanDiegoTraffic@nexstar.tv
For technical questions – Phone: (858) 496-0204
Q: How late can my commercials arrive and still make its air time?
A: We ask you for three business days – we want to check your spot against your traffic instructions and review the media for technical quality and integrity. We understand there may be exceptions to this rule, and can generally accommodate tighter deadlines if you use a service provider listed above, in “Preferred Method of Delivery”.
Q: Why is it important to use an ISCI or Ad-ID code to identify a file?
A: ISCI’s are an Industry Standardized Commercial Identifier that conforms to standard format. ISCI’s identify commercials that air on commercial television worldwide and keep your media identified. Most ISCI’s are pre-assigned by advertisers, but if you need help creating a ISCI code, use this link for some useful tips: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standardized_Commercial_Identifier