Somehow it seems typical of the government. Mandate (without particular support from either side) that analog OTA must be turned OFF and simultaneously mandate analog cable must be kept ON.
- Tom Steve Wilson wrote:
I didnt see anyone commenting on this last week. What sense does this make?"Many industry observers are fearful that analog TV owners will be unable to watch TV when the transition occurs." .....so force to cable to carry analog for longer? Of course, with analog TV and a cable ready tuner, you dont need a box. Now, if you have to get a box and more expensive plan from cable, maybe you decide to get a new OTA box. So maybe they need more coupons than they thought....---------------- http://www.tvpredictions.com/martin041107.htm Could FCC Plan Hurt HDTV Efforts?FCC Chairman Kevin Martin wants to force cable operators to carry multiple feeds of local channels.By Phillip SwannWashington, D.C. (April 11, 2007) -- FCC Chairman Kevin Martin reportedly will propose that cable TV operators be forced to carry both analog and digital signals broadcast by a local station when the nation switches to Digital TV.As of now, cable will be required to carry only the digital signal when the switch occurs on February 17, 2009. Several cable TV operators have said they will continue broadcasting the analog signals for a period of time but Martin apparently wants to make that law.Many industry observers are fearful that analog TV owners will be unable to watch TV when the transition occurs.However, if approved, Martin's proposal could hurt cable TV's efforts to expand their high-def lineups. If they are forced to broadcast the analog signals for a longer period of time, they may have less room for more HD channels during that time.The law could also become a disincentive for cable subscribers to switch from analog to digital because they might think the analog signals will be there indefinitely.Comcast is now urging customers in some cities to switch from analog to digital, saying that new digital boxes will offer 125 high-def channels in 2008. As part of its persuasion campaign, the cable operator is alerting subscribers that the Digital TV switch is set for 2009.______________________________________________________________________________________Brian Dietz, a spokesman for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, blasted Martin's plan today, although he did not address its possible impact on HD.Dietz said the plan would force consumers to "rent a set-top box they may not want." according to Broadcasting & Cable Magazine.To get both the analog and digital signals, the NCTA seems to be saying, consumers would need a set-top rather than using a CableCard or another means of connecting.Martin's plan, first reported by Multichannel News this week, would apparently become effective after the nation switches to Digital TV on February 17, 2009. "We have repeatedly assured Congress and the federal government that we’ll continue to deliver broadcast signals to cable’s analog customers after the February 2009 transition. The right approach to ensuring a seamless digital transition is a collaborative process that doesn't reach premature conclusions that will jeopardize our efforts to assist cable’s 65 million customers," Dietz said.---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
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