[opendtv] Re: TVNEWSDAY - The DTV Transition Is Over. Let's Party!
- From: "Bob Miller" <robmxa@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:02:27 -0400
Met with Kennard three times before this decision. He seemed to be
very amused and curious about my enthusiasm for DVB-T and disdain of
8-VSB.
He canceled out or just didn't show up for a meeting with us in DC in
late 2000. We had Professor William F. Schreiber of MIT and Richard
Bogner in tow as I remember it. We sat with his assistant for an hour
while she did a poor job of showing any interest.
The first time I met him was at a law conference in New York and I
told him that I thought the FCC would have to change to something like
DVB-T sooner or later so they might as well take a better look at it
and test it now, to general laughter. That was September 1999. We
talked to him afterwards and he was very nice.
At the NAB in 2000 I was at the LPTV meeting and he attended and gave
a talk after I did. I was handing out something to the attendees
outside when he left and he, Bruce Franca and Keith Larson stopped and
talked for some time. They all took my handout which was a diatribe
against 8-VSB.
Very nice, again slightly amused and curious but a pure political animal.
Met him again while waiting for a meeting of a group at the FCC.
I am very aware that the Democrats are also guilty.
Bob Miller
On Tue, Sep 16, 2008 at 3:35 PM, Mark A. Aitken <maitken@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I have my tongue firmly planted between my teeth, and can not talk at this
> time. I saw/read this article right after reading my friend Steve's post.
> Ah...what could have been...
>
> And to Bob Miller I say...don't blame the Bush administration for this one,
> it was Clinton and his little band of hooligans (starting with HIS FCC
> Chairman Kennard that not only ignored us, but flaunted that fact!) who had
> to have a way to balance the budget at the expense of Broadcasting. Kennard
> left many an impression when he left in January of 2001 (few good), the
> decision to stick with 'what you have' cast in stone...
>
> <http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/News_Releases/2001/nrmm0102.html>
>
> Among other things...(extracted)
>
> The Commission:
>
> Affirmed the 8-VSB modulation system of the DTV transmission standard,
> concluding that there is no reason to revisit its decision denying a request
> to allow use of an alternative DTV modulation standard.
>
> ...
>
> Denied requests to set performance standards for digital receivers,
> expressing concern that the effect of setting such standards at this point
> would be to stifle innovation and limit performance to current capabilities.
> The Commission said it would continue to monitor receiver issues;
>
> ...
>
> On 9/16/2008 3:09 PM, Manfredi, Albert E wrote:
>
> Mark A. Aitken posted:
>
> http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/09/16/daily.3/
>
> [ ... ]
>
> "Doesn't matter. The transition is done enough. And this is great news.
> Because digital TV is ready for the launch party when stations
> vigorously promote its features and urge their communities to figure it
> out and tune it in."
>
> I take it this is a publication for broadcasters.
>
> From the perspective of this non-broacaster viewer, however, the failure
> has been that this new medium should have been "marketed vigorously"
> starting years ago. Let's say, at least once decent receivers started
> appearing on the market, and I'd even include the Accurian/Digital
> Stream STB among these. Although built-in receivers by that time were
> even better than the Accurian. Even if broadcasters were wary of earlier
> receivers and all the complaints they might get. So, from sometime in
> 2003 anyway, the vigorous marketing should have begun. At least some
> stations in most markets had already gone digital and HD.
>
> As I see it, this "vigorous marketing" is not likely to occur at all,
> but I'm willing to be pleasantly surprised.
>
> "Messaging tonnage has been huge (thanks in part to the FCC DTV
> announcement mandate) and awareness of the date is exceptionally high.
>
> "But awareness of what? This is from the FCC's DTV.gov home page: 'On
> February 17, 2009, all full-power broadcast stations in the Unites
> States will stop broadcasting on analog airwaves and begin broadcasting
> only in digital.'"
>
> [ ... ]
>
> "What do typical TV viewers take away? Can you blame anyone who thinks
> that digital TV is not here now, and that it starts in February?"
>
> Yup, the wording is misleading, although technically correct. Then
> again, why would any business ever let the Federal Govt do their
> marketing for them? It makes no sense. I take this more as an
> exasperated fed govt taking this function upon itself, when it shouldn't
> have had to.
>
> The transition started in 1998, 10 years ago.
>
> Bert
>
>
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>
> --
> <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
>
> Regards,
> Mark A. Aitken
> Director, Advanced Technology
> ===================================
> Sinclair Broadcast Group
> 10706 Beaver Dam Road
> Hunt Valley, MD 21030
> ===================================
> Business TEL: (410) 568-1535
> Business MOBILE: (443) 677-4425
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> E-mail: maitken@xxxxxxxxxx
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> ===================================
> "The best executive is the one who
> has sense enough to pick good men
> to do what he wants done, and
> self-restraint to keep from meddling
> with them while they do it."
>
> ~ ~ ~ ~ Theodore Roosevelt ~ ~ ~ ~
> ===================================
> "Leadership is the art of getting
> someone else to do something you
> want done because he wants to do it."
>
> ~ ~ ~ ~ Dwight Eisenhower ~ ~ ~ ~
> ===================================
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> the one delegating works, too."
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> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Robert Half ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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