[opendtv] News: Farmers Plant Doubts About DTV Plan
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OpenDTV Mail List <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2004 08:28:15 -0500
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA481089.html?display=Breaking+News&referral=SUPP
Farmers Plant Doubts About DTV Plan
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/17/2004 2:13:00 PM
Corn and soybean growers have now weighed in at the Federal
Communications Commission against the so-called Ferree plan for
speeding the digital transition.
That plan would insure that 85% of TV households in any market could
receive a TV signal before, and after, the FCC started reclaiming
analog spectrum, but that signal would not have to be digital.
Instead, it could be a digital signal converted to analog and
delivered over cable. With that wiggle room, the FCC says the analog
spectrum can be returned by 2009. Without it, FCC Chairman Michael
Powell has said, it could take decades.
Critics point out that the plan takes much of the digital out of the
digital conversion. Those receiving a "digital" broadcast converted
in analog would not be getting the benefit of a better picture, or
access to high-definition, or any multicast digital services.
In a meeting with Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, the American Corn
Growers Association and the Soybean Producers of America, joined by
some unions and others, argued that the impact of a hard date for
cut-off of analog service will adversely impact rural communities
with less access to cable. They also argue that the switch to digital
must include a multicast must-carry requirement to insure that
farmers get access to crucial weather information services.
They cited as one of those services NBC's just-launched multicast
digital weather network, which can deliver continuously updated local
weather info.
This isn't the first time the corn growers have weighed in on the
digital transition. Two years ago, the association came out against a
digital-tuner mandate, though at the time its executives weren't sure
why. This time, they have no such doubt.
For farmers, a weather broadcasts is far more than a guide to the
day's attire or recreational plans. It is a key piece of business
information that affects all their livelihoods. The topic of farm
broadcasting in the digital age is likely to be a hot one at this
week's National Association of Farm Broadcasters Convention in
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