[opendtv] LPTV Advocates Eye Cellular Alternative
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 17:17:50 -0400
I believe that a true cellular TV broadcast system can readily be
devised, with automatic handover and all, but I don't think that is what
these folks are advocating.
"Greg Herman, CBA's vice president of technology described CTB's
approach as a 'rather unique technology to cellularize broadcast
television. It's ATSC but it's cellular in that it allows the same kind
of reuse of bandwidth within the cell, ...'"
But that isn't what cellular means. Cellular means reuse of spectrum
among cells, not reuse of b/s within each cell.
Initially, I tought they wanted to transmit LPTV content over 3G
cellular. But I don't think that's it either. So I don't know what this
is about.
Bert
---------------------------------
http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/85078
LPTV Advocates Eye Cellular Alternative
08.06.2009.
After years of what one of its representative characterized as "abusive
behavior from the industry," the Community Broadcasters Association has
shuttered its operations and is hitching its wagon to an alternate
cellular technology.
The CBA, which represented low power and Class A TV stations before
ceasing operations July 15, still maintains its Web site and -800
number, but former Executive Director Amy Brown has taken on a new
position as director of industry relations with Cellular Terrestrial
Broadcasting, a consortium of low power TV stations that allows members
to dedicate a portion of their spectrum to new terrestrial broadcast
services, including multichannel video distribution, datacasting and
high speed broadband.
"This unified group of broadcasters will have a much stronger message
and have commonalities and common goals when they go to Congress," Brown
said, adding that, since the association represented such a diverse
group, "we weren't always able to please all those operators." There are
an estimated nearly 3,000 LPTV stations and Class A TV stations in the
United States.
So far, 118 LPTV stations have joined the CTB, which does not require a
membership fee. Instead, members sign a letter of intent to provide a
portion of their spectrum for new services. CTB also plans to fund the
construction of digital facilities for its members.
Greg Herman, CBA's vice president of technology described CTB's approach
as a "rather unique technology to cellularize broadcast television. It's
ATSC but it's cellular in that it allows the same kind of reuse of
bandwidth within the cell, so it amplifies what ATSC does significantly.
We're hoping that by working with them, the stations that join will
actually 'leapfrog' the full power industry in terms of the robustness
of their transmitter infrastructure and what you can do with it."
It's easy to understand the battle weariness of the CBA, which struggled
to get its message across to government regulators, especially during
the long DTV transition. For several years, the association had
aggressively lobbied both the industry and the National
Telecommunications and Information Association, which managed the
federal government's DTV converter box program, to ensure that the boxes
included analog pass-through capability so that consumers could continue
to receive LPTV and Class A TV signals after full power broadcasting
ended. LPTV and Class A stations were not required to go digital under
the government's DTV transition rules.
The association's efforts to publicize the fact that low power analog
broadcasting would continue after the DTV transition were additionally
stymied by NTIA's transfer of $18 million from a program for low power
broadcasters to a DTV educational effort that didn't even note that
fact, according to Herman.
In addition, a federal government program to provide financial
assistance to help LPTV and Class A stations build out DTV facilities is
"anemic" and "poorly administered," according to Herman. "The funding is
there but it won't help anybody," he said. "It's not enough money to do
anybody any good."
These reasons, among others, are why Brown and Herman are advocating a
new approach for the low power industry.
"We're looking to the future and we're not counting on anything from the
government, but rather finding technical solutions that are so
compelling and intelligent regardless of whether the FCC can conceive
them," Herman said. "The CBA may have failed, but if we can reboot this
industry and load up a new set of offerings, the best days of low power
television may be in front of it."
Brown adds, "I believe CTB is one of the last remaining alternatives for
LPTV operators. Without someone like CTB, we won't be able to survive
long-term."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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:
