[opendtv] Re: NAB, MSTV applaud FCC must-carry proposal for DTV transition

Craig Birkmaier wrote:


Sorry Bert, but YOUR position (above) and Martin's are NOT the
same. You are saying that the cable company should be able to
decide how to accommodate customers (or NOT). Martin is
saying that the cable company MUST accommodate customers
either by dual carriage in Analog and Digital, or by supplying
digital converters if they drop the analog version.
A fine point, but okay. You're focusing on words that really don't matter, in any practical sense. I'm saying that if the broadcasters insist ONLY on digital must-carry, then IN FACT, you end up with Chairman Marin's and my preference.
Cable companies will not just drop their analog customers, right? I mean, roughly 50 percent of their customers would never put up with that, and would simply jump ship. So the end result is that cable companies would have to find a way to accommodate analog customers all by themselves. No need to be forced to do so. 


The NCTA is saying that the only viable option for most cable operators
will be to carry both an analog and the digital broadcast, effectively
tying up nearly 12 MHz of capacity on their systems. The other option
is to carry just the digital signals and let consumers decide if they want
to bother with a STB to watch the broadcast signals.
Exactly. With digital must-carry ONLY, cable companies all by themsleves would end up doing what Martin says. Unlike you, a huge percentage of analog cable customers still watch the network channels. Enough that no cable company would want to disenfranchise.
What other choice do they have? Give me a practical alternative for cable companies, other than the two Martin gave them. There is no ACTUAL over-reaching here. 

Bert

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