[opendtv] Re: News: FCC's Martin Floats Leased Multicast Must-Carry Proposal
- From: "John Willkie" <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2007 21:22:04 -0800
What weird form of elocution and economics, Tom, leads you to form such a
paragraph as this?
>
> That may be true, but only because broadcasters base a channels value
> upon getting it carried on cable. I don't think it is possible to
> compete with cable if you depend upon them (and sat) for 85%+ of your
> distribution. I can see why some think it is hardly worth the
> electricity to power antennas anymore.
Broadcasters base a channel simply on how many people watch -- that is, how
valuable the service is for viewers. If they're commercial broadcasters,
they might also base the value on the demographic makeup of the audience.
TV broadcasters don't compete with cable, Tom. Cable is in the business of
selling monthly electronic services on a subscription basis. They don't
create any television programming of note, and little tv programming of any
kind is created by them. Almost as an afterthought, they sell spots on many
of their national networks. Many of those spots are actually used these
days to sell subscription offerings of the cable company.
Broadcasters sell commercial time and 'enhanced underwriting' which are sold
to firms and wealthy individuals. They produce and distribute -- usually
pursuant to exclusive agreements -- television programs. Television
stations sell little or nothing at retail.
Maybe you have trouble with the term 'competition?' Cable firms think
they're in the TV business, but they're in the copper or fiber business.
John Willkie
>
> Maybe the CW is just destined to be a sub-channel but I still wish ABC
> would negotiate HD carriage with Cox here. If they agreed on it there
> should be no legal obstacles to broadcasting SDTV but letting Cox carry
> the HD signal. I'm not sure why they don't, unless ABC is holding out
> for extra $$$'s.
>
> - Tom
>
>
> > Craig Birkmaier wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Obsolete?
> >
> >
> > I meant that without an analog stream, it would become difficult to
> > identify the "primary channel" which would be subject to must-carry. But
> > you're right, the FCC had already covered that, and only requires
> > must-carry of one program stream (FCC 05-27):
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------
> > http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-05-27A1.pdf
> >
> > 33. After consideration of all the arguments and evidence presented on
> > this issue, we affirm our earlier decision, and decline, based on the
> > current record before us, to require cable operators to carry any more
> > than one programming stream of a digital television station that
> > multicasts. On reconsideration, we acknowledge, however, that the
> > language of the Act may be less definitive than portions of our earlier
> > decision suggested. This conclusion is, in fact, more consistent with
> > our observations in the First Report and Order "that the terms 'primary
> > video' as used in sections 614(b)(3) and 615(g)(1) are susceptible to
> > different interpretations," and that "[t]he legislative history does not
> > definitively resolve the ambiguity regarding the intended application of
> > the term 'primary video' as used in this context." As explained below,
> > however, we continue to hold that the best construction of the
> > must-carry provisions, based on the current record before us, is that
> > cable operators need not carry more than one programming stream."
> > ------------------------------------------------
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