[opendtv] Re: Wha' Happened to the FCC?
- From: "Mark A. Aitken" <maitken@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:58:37 -0500
Inline...
On 3/3/2010 9:02 AM, Craig Birkmaier wrote:
At 2:52 PM -0600 3/2/10, Manfredi, Albert E wrote:
I used to believe that too. Part of what you say is certinly true,
like the power mains part (unless you buy one of the rare battery
powered DTVs), but it all depends how the new DTV stations decide to
reinvent themselves.
This past nasty, ugly, annoying winter has made me appreciate what
the TV weather subchannels CAN do, if they put their mind to it.
Channel 7-2, from the ABC affiliate here, has 24/7 weather from
something called "accuweather" as well as from the local
meteorologist Doug Hill. So it shows the latest local and national
weather always. They show all the needed graphics, including radar
loops and 5-day (or 7-day?) forecasts, the type of info that is
simply not available over radio.
In tornado weather, they give precise locations and motion of the
tornados, on a map.
I get all of this in real time on my iPhone. Historically the cellular
network seems to hold up better than the big sticks; the towers are
less vulnerable and there are thousands of them. Cellular was the
primary source of news and for emergency communications after the
earthquake in Haiti.
When everybody picks up their iPhone, the network dies. Never
'congestion' with a Broadcast model of 'pushing' the most
watched/requested materials.
Cellular was the means that the news got out of the country. Most
Americans learned of the tragedy by means of Broadcast News coming
through local markets.
Still, I agree that weather channels are a useful addition to a
broadcast multiplex. Redundancy is a good thing.
Only WJLA has evolved the service to this level, in DC, so far. It
seems more up to date than even Intellicast on the web. Or at least,
the analysis is more up to date, if not the actual radar image. You
watch for a few minutes and get a good idea of what's about to happen
weather-wise.
On the paying for spectrum angle, I get the distinct impression that
those who are addicted to subscription services would be just as
happy if everyone else felt their pain too. Heh heh.
We are feeling unnecessary pain - having to pay subscriber fees for
channels we don't watch. Unfortunately this now includes broadcasters
who are getting their spectrum virtually for free, but now demand that
we pay subscriber fees too - thanks to a government gun to our heads
called retransmission consent.
But people DO WATCH local channels. Big difference.
But this undesirable business model is starting to fail thanks to
competition and the sheer weight of the abuse.
Wouldn't it be ironic if the conglomerates suck most of the retrans
money out of their broadcast affiliates as their final act of vampirism.
The consensus on the list seems to be that the conglomerates do not
need broadcasters any more.
That understanding is based on bravado.
The question that only the public can answer, is whether localism is
sufficient to support broadcast TV.
A case in point. Our local NYT newspaper is competing rather
effectively against the local TV station that does news (we only have
one local station that does a credible job with news). A week ago
Sunday the paper ran a print story on our Brewery. They also shot a
nice video, which is available on demand on their website. We've heard
nothing from the TV station...
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100221/ARTICLES/100219315/1003/NEWS?p=1&tc=pg
Regards
Craig
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--
Regards,
Mark A. Aitken
Director, Advanced Technology
Sinclair Broadcast Group
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(410) 568-1535 OFFICE
(443) 677-4425 MOBILE
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