[opendtv] CES 2008: Martin: No Give in DTV Hard Date
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OpenDTV Mail List <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 09:10:28 -0500
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6518193.html?display=Breaking+News&referral=SUPP&nid=2228
CES 2008: Martin: No Give in DTV Hard Date
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Speaks at 2008
International Consumer Electronics Show
By Mark Robichaux -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/8/2008 3:58:00 PM
Las Vegas -- Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin
said there is no chance that the nation's shift to digital television
will be delayed, regardless of questions and pleas from various
industry executives.
"There's no question that there's a hard date," Martin said during a
question-and-answer session with Consumer Electronics Association
president and CEO Gary Shapiro at the 2008 International Consumer
Electronics Show here.
With more than 50% of American homes owning digital televisions,
Martin said he was pleased with what the TV and consumer-electronics
industries were doing to inform consumers, although he added, "We can
do more." He said the ad campaigns that are beginning to hit the
airwaves are arriving at the right time. "You don't want to be
putting too much emphasis too early," he added.
Martin said he expects the cable, broadcast and consumer-electronics
industries to defuse the inevitable logistical problems that may
arise prior to the transition. Some consumers have expressed concern,
for example, that the DTV coupons, which have a three-month
expiration date, might not allow enough time to choose a device,
especially if retailers are sold out or have limited selections.
When asked about concerns over network neutrality, he said the FCC
would act aggressively, using authority it already has to ensure that
big distributors such as Comcast and other big cable operators play
fair and give equal access to the Internet. "When blocking has
occurred, the FCC has stepped in," he added, and it will continue to
investigate complaints in a more streamlined process.
Shapiro noted that Martin had taken a lot of "darts in the back"
standing up for consumers with recent FCC rules that have hit the
cable and other industries hard. "Any shield you can provide is good
-- I'll take it, Martin said.
One of those darts surely was thrown over the FCC chairman's focus on
giving cable-TV customers more choice through a la carte. Per-channel
cable pricing would also allow consumers to pay for only the channels
they want.
Echoing a criticism he has leveled in numerous venues, Martin said
virtually every other industry had lowered prices from a few years
ago, including wireless, long-distance calling and plain old
telephone service. By contrast, he added, cable prices have doubled
since the 1996 Telecommunications Act was passed. "It's critical to
recognize where there's not enough competition ? The easiest answer
is to let the consumer pick and choose," he said.
The cable industry countered that while prices have gone up, so have
the number of channels subscribers get for their money, adding that
unbundling cable service may become a reality given the increasing
control viewers are demanding over their media, but that decision is
for the marketplace, not Washington, to make.
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