[opendtv] News: FCC to Issue Must-Carry Ruling
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OpenDTV Mail List <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 8 Sep 2007 08:32:42 -0400
http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0157/t.8369.html
FCC to Issue Must-Carry Ruling
September 7, 2007
In a decision that could have a giant impact on the future
availability of digital TV signals, the FCC will rule Tuesday, Sept.
11, on what pieces of the broadcasters' signals cable operators will
be required to carry.
Broadcasting and cable interests have been squaring off for months
with visits and filings to the commission. NAB and its allies have
long argued that cable operators should carry all program streams,
while cable operators have argued against the FCC proposal that
stations carry HD, SD and analog signals (what cable calls "triple
must-carry"). They say the proposal is unconstitutional and would
come at the expense of other programming and services preferred by
viewers.
Broadcasters have also attacked a new $200 million information
campaign announced by the cable industry assuring viewers that cable
can keep them from losing their analog television signals in February
2009. (See related story in this week's TV Technology News Bytes.)
Sept. 6, NAB and the Association for Maximum Service Television
(MSTV) showed the FCC some cable industry ads and noted that just as
cable announced its "education" initiative, cable lobbyists were
campaigning against the very requirements that would ensure continued
analog carriage.
"The American public understands that, as long as they subscribe to
cable, they will continue to receive broadcast signals when they wake
up on February 19, 2009," the groups wrote the FCC. "That
understanding is directly at odds with the plans the cable industry
has articulated to the commission."
Representing small cable operators, the American Cable Association
told the FCC it would be technically and financially unfeasable for
all small and medium-sized cable operators to carry every local
station's HD, SD and analog signals.
According to the ACA's filing with the FCC, a small cable operator
would have to invest $143,500 in equipment and labor to pass along
seven must-carry stations' HD, SD and analog streams-or $26,500 for
the signals of just one station. That cost could be reduced if
broadcasters downconverted their HD signals to SD before delivery to
cable providers; carrying six stations' SD and analog signals only
would cost an operator $65,000, ACA said.
NAB also says the FCC should adopt an objective standard for
measuring material degradation of DTV signals. Cable interests have
said such rules would prohibit commonly used compression techniques.
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