[opendtv] Re: FCC Eliminates Simulcast Rules
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 07:41:20 -0400
At 7:45 PM -0400 9/12/04, Mark Schubin wrote:
>At the risk of prolonging this thread...
>
>1. Viewers have favorite shows.
>2. For the transition to happen, viewers must get DTT receivers.
>3. There have already been some DTT receivers that do not include NTSC
>reception.
>4. If a viewer finds that favorite NTSC shows are not being transmitted
>on DTT (at least during the transition) and finds that at least some DTT
>receivers don't receive analog, then there is little incentive for that
>viewer to follow point 2. If you don't like that scenario, there's also
>the one of cable carrying only a broadcaster's DTT signals.
>5. The simulcasting requirement, therefore, ensured that viewers with
>favorite analog shows would not lose them simply through a move from
>NTSC to DTT.
>
Good points Mark!
In particular, the cable (DBS) carriage issue is the key to this
discussion. It "should" be obvious that the most important factor for
broadcasters is to protect the audience share that they still
control, either via carriage by competitors (the largest audience
chunk), or via direct OTA delivery (the smaller audience chunk that
views ONLY OTA broadcast content).
But broadcasters are playing "political games" with the cable
carriage issue. They are not content to accept what the FCC has
already assured them - the carriage of the "digital equivalent" of
their NTSC signals. They are asking for carriage of the entire
digital multiplex, including programming that "may" duplicate content
already carried by the cable and DBS systems.
It is irrational and illogical to question whether broadcasters will
offer their most popular content via the new DTV service. This is
their primary economic base, and it is critical to the survival of
OTA broadcasting. If stations are not carrying the "equivalent"
content on their DTV channels, to that they carry on their analog
channels, it can only be taken as a clear message that they are NOT
committed to the digital transition. Remember, the broadcasters were
LAONED the DTV channels so that they could transition their service
to digital - they were not given additional spectrum to create new
businesses, other than those that can coexist with their primary
service due to the added capacity and flexibility of the DTV service.
In other words, this whole thread is nothing more that political hot
air. Nothing more that the political ruminations of an industry, and
its regulator, trying to gain/grant competitive advantage via the
political process.
Regards
Craig
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