[opendtv] Re: Here we go again...
- From: "Adam Goldberg" <adam_g@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 15:40:43 -0400
Requiring specific features in hardware is not the government's job. In the
case of the digital /television/ transition, the downsides of the tuner mandate
arguably are justified in the face of the public interest in transitioning to
OTA digital. However, for radio, there is no /transition/ taking place (and
therefore no public interest in encouraging it).
The satellite vs. terrestrial radio battle is and should be a marketplace
interaction. If HD Radio is an attractive service (in light of its price),
then (1) it'll succeed, (2) all radio vendors will be pressured to include it,
(3) the price will come down, and (4) all radios will end up having it.
It may well be that #2 takes longer to work on automobile manufacturers, but
that's irrelevant.
ATTENTION BERT: This is the first and only email I'll send to this list on
this topic.
-----Original Message-----
From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of John Willkie
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2008 12:58 PM
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [opendtv] Re: Here we go again...
another laugher. The "fota distribution network" is the aether. I tend to
doubt that apartment managers are actually grabbing the airwaves.
John Willkie
-----Original Message-----
>From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Jul 2, 2008 9:41 AM
>To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: [opendtv] Re: Here we go again...
>
>Craig Birkmaier wrote:
>
>> Satellite radio has found a marketplace niche, but growth
>> has slowed significantly and most surveys suggest that post
>> merger growth will be tepid at best.
>>
>> But this does not stop the NAB from working overtime to
>> block the merger, and for the politicians on the sidelines
>> to tell the regulators what they should do. THus it comes
>> as no surprise that a group of Senators is suggesting that
>> the Satcasters be forced to do something akin to what the
>> FCC required of TV manufacturers - i.e. force the
>> manufacturers of satellite radio receivers to include HD
>> radio receivers in their devices.
>>
>> On the surface this makes sense - the inclusion of an HD
>> radio receiver should not add much to the cost of the new
>> radios that the merger will require (the systems use
>> different modulation, thus existing receivers do not work
>> with both). Once again the NAB and their buddies in
>> Congress smell the opportunity to prop up broadcasters,
>> rather than letting the marketplace decide...
>>
>> [From] the article: "Consumers deserve the opportunity to
>> choose from all of the latest radio technologies, whether
>> they listen at home, at the office, or in the car."
>
>But Craig, you are not looking at the reality of what is taking place.
>
>Example 1, TV-related. In an apartment complex (highrise, whatever), the
>management grabs the existing FOTA TV distribution network and forces
>the tenants to either subcribe to the MVPD on that coax, or hope they
>are positioned adequately to receive OTA TV via an indoor antenna.
>
>How is that allowing the marketplace to decide?
>
>Example 2. I buy a GM car. An XM-Radio compatible radio is already
>installed (GM has stakes in XM-Radio), but HD Radio tuners are not even
>available as an option. How is that allowing the marketplace to decide?
>
>Matter of fact, when the FCC required apartment managers and owners to
>allow competition among MVPDs distributed throughout the complex, did
>they include availability of FOTA? No. The only stipulation was that the
>service could not be exclusive to just one MVPD. So again, how is that
>allowing the marketplace to decide?
>
>I don't think the Govt should be in the business of encouraging people
>to spend more money than they would otherwise do. The housing meltdown
>is proof enough that people will overspend plenty without govt help!
>
>Bert
>
>
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