[opendtv] Re: Scrap OTA?
- From: dan.grimes@xxxxxxxx
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 13:33:24 -0800
I'm not serious about suggesting we should scrap OTA broadcasts. Remember,
I am one of the millions who's primary source of media is OTA (well, not
really my primary source, but I do watch some OTA programming). But the
way some speak on this forum, it sounds like OTA is a dying transport
format and it wouldn't hurt anyone if it just went away.
But if the same channels were offered for free over CATV, I would be
willing to get them off CATV (although I would prefer DBS). That would
free up a lot of OTA spectrum.
I would also welcome some competition with an OTA multiprogram service
provider like USDTV (which I have access to). Unfortunately, USDTV does
not offer the programming I am willing to pay for. (In reality, there
isn't much I'd be willing to pay for).
Naturally, the suggestion of scrapping OTA brings ups a lot of other issues
like monopolies, control over speech, and information availability, etc.
But those issues probably aren't very important to most of the 85 percent
using CATV and DBS.
Do you think that local News production would go away if the local networks
moved to CATV and DBS only? Are local newscasts only consumed by OTA
customers?
Dan
Mark Schubin
<tvmark@earthlink To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
.net> cc:
Sent by: Subject: [opendtv] Re: Scrap
OTA?
opendtv-bounce@fr
eelists.org
11/01/2005 10:47
AM
Please respond to
opendtv
dan.grimes@xxxxxxxx wrote:
>So if most people get their media over CATV or DBS, why not just scrap
OTA?
>
>
So, if most people don't go to graduate school (and they don't), why not
eliminate grad schools? If the inverse of "most" is millions of people,
broadcasting still seems to be a good idea.
>If free TV is important to provide to the public, why not just make CATV
>and DBS provide any local news and not-for-profit channels (or whatever
>content is deemed as important to provide to all citizens) for free
>(especially cable since they have franchise fees, reduce to offset service
>cost)?
>
>
Who's going to produce that local news and why?
>If we need an OTA broadcast for emergencies, why not just make an
emergency
>broadcast channel, requiring only one frequency to cover the entire
country
>(big or small SFN)?
>
>
This is actually a very interesting idea. I first saw it proposed by
Walt Ciciora. Single frerquency won't necessarily work, but a
high-power, ruggedized NTSC station in each market as the designated
emergency outlet is not a bad idea at all.
>If there are good reasons for an OTA media distribution platform, why not
>make it like CATV where one entity (in a given market) provides
multiplexed
>digital service just like CATV, but offers local news and not-for-profit
>channels for free, and must pay a franchise fee?
>
>
Again, who produces that news and why?
TTFN,
Mark
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