[opendtv] Re: Commissioner Rosenworcel and NAB on next gen TV
- From: Craig Birkmaier <brewmastercraig@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2017 08:53:02 -0400
On Oct 13, 2017, at 9:29 PM, Manfredi, Albert E <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Not sure what she's getting at, with the "cost of implementing it will be
added to consumer cable and satellite bills." One possibility is, she is
suggesting that to defray the cost of ATSC 3.0, broadcasters will be asking
for more subscriber fees from MVPDs. Heh. That would just accelerate the
defection rate. Is this just an assumption on her part? Or,
Is this related to the question I've heard several times, on what impact ATSC
3.0 would have on MVPDs? None, I should think. Why would the MVPDs be
affected by an OTA transmission standard that they don't use? Even if OTA
broadcasters transmitted different or additional content over ATSC 3.0, than
what's on ATSC 1.0, the MVPDs are obliged to carry only the "main program."
And even that, only in SD quality. No extra content impact, no COFDM impact,
no "immersive sound" impact, no 4K impact. So what could matter less to MVPDs?
Good points Bert!
Clearly Rosenworcel did not learn anything during her vacation. She might as
well have never left...
The notion that we will all need to replace our TVs is ridiculous. Has she ever
seen a Roku box, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV? Does she know that 4K is now
commonplace, as Bert frequently points out? Does she understand that the MVPDs
are nearly as anachronistic as TV broadcasters?
Let’s pause for Bert to pick himself up off the floor.
:-)
Yes Bert, the cable guys are losing their audience to the Internet - the
Internet that they currently have the best fixed pipes to reach. My only ask
here is that you do not keep calling them a monopoly that needs regulation...
The Commissioner goes to great lengths to talk about kids needing broadband to
do their homework; that they may sit in parking lots to access a public Wi-Fi
service, or that we need to provide wireless Internet on school buses for kids
to do their homework...
GET REAL - kids live in a social media world and that is what they would likely
access while riding on the bus.
What they need is Wi-Fi at home, and parents who create a “learning
environment” rather than “anything goes.”
I was recently eating brunch at a restaurant in Gainesville, Georgia. The walls
were filled with the work of local artists for sale. There was a painting of a
young girl (maybe 7) in a slightly darkened room with here homework sitting on
the desk. Her face was illuminated by the smartphone she was using instead of
doing her homework...
Now, without any regulation by the FCC, AT&T and other telecoms are offering
DSL broadband for about $15/mo to homes that are receiving government
assistance. No Universal Service dollars or subsidies involved.
Rosenworcel correctly notes that we no longer rely on newspapers or broadcast
TV for the news, then turns around and blasts the R’s on the commission for
reimposing the UHF discount. She then suggests:
“I fear we are on the cusp of dismantling those values. I am concerned the
Commission is gearing up to approve a transaction that will hand a single
broadcast company the unprecedented ability to reach more than 70 percent of
American households.”
Does she not understand that THREE broadcast companies had exclusive access to
100% of U.S. homes for most of the 20th century?
Does she not understand that there are now FOUR broadcast companies that have
100% access to U.S. homes, even those who abandoned antennas decades ago in
favor of MVPD service?
Does she not understand that broadcasters are now raking in billions in retrans
consent fees, on top of the billions they bring in from an ever increasing
number of ads?
OMG - the Sinclair/Tribune merger will give almost 3/4’s of the homes in the
U.S. a FIFTH opinion!
Maybe instead of talking about the UHF discount the Commission should start
talking about more important things to do with that spectrum than TV broadcasts
that hardly anyone watches...
Especially the children, who are abandoning TV as we knew it in droves.
“My children will never know a world where news and information are available
in such a limited way. Because now we look for content at any time, in any
place, and on any screen handy.”
This is exciting. But, let’s be honest, it’s also challenging. The economic
models that sustained traditional newsgathering have been forever changed by
digitization—and while new platforms are multiplying, what is viral is not
always verifiable.
Ya think?
What is viral now is used by the broadcast networks as “confidential sources”
for their news reports. Facts versus alternative facts. Does she believe that
the news delivered by TV is verifiable?
Does she believe that if it is coming from an FCC licensed transmitter it MUST
BE TRUE...
I guess it is good to know exactly where the D’s stand on regulation, and
protection of the media oligopoly they have enabled.
Regards
Craig
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can UNSUBSCRIBE from the OpenDTV list in two ways:
- Using the UNSUBSCRIBE command in your user configuration settings at
FreeLists.org
- By sending a message to: opendtv-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word
unsubscribe in the subject line.
Other related posts:
