[opendtv] News: Bicker Long Enough, Must-Carry Fixes Itself

http://www.tvtechnology.com/dailynews/one.php?id=2610

Date posted: 2004-12-23

Bicker Long Enough, Must-Carry Fixes Itself

At the annual year-end luncheon held by the National Cable 
Telecommunications Association, CEO Robert Sachs pointed out that 454 
digital broadcast signals were being carried by cable operators, up 
from around 92 a year ago.

  He pointed out that most of the 454 represented stations with 
simultaneous carriage of their analog signal. It's all about the art 
of the deal. Broadcasters with digital carriage ponied up good 
content, Sachs said.

  "Cable operators want to carry compelling programming," he said. 
"We've seen that with public television."

  Of all the digital signals carried on cable, Sachs estimated that 
about 100 represented public stations. The multicast signals that 
cable does carry originate primarily from public stations, Sachs said.

  He maintained, as he has for years, that multicast must-carry 
applies to a single video stream, and that " it would require an act 
of Congress to change the law." If allowed enough time, as 
demonstrated by the fivefold increase in the number of digital 
broadcast signals carried on cable over the last year, must-carry 
will work itself out in the marketplace, Sachs contends.

  "There are 390 competitive channels in the market seeking affiliate 
fees," he said." Broadcast would seem to have an advantage."
 
 
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