http://www.tvtechnology.com/news/0002/global-bodies-stand-behind-ota-tv/277609
Global Bodies Stand Behind OTA TV
Members of the World Broadcast Union welcome WRC-15 decision
December 14, 2015
By Deborah D. McAdams
Why This Matters
The rest of the world's countries support over-the-air broadcasting even as it
has been dismissed and diminished in the United States.
TORONTO, CANADA - A collection of international broadcasting organizations are
hailing a recent decision by the governing body of global spectrum treaties,
which voted to preserve UHF spectrum for over-the-air television distribution.
Members of the World Broadcast Union welcomed the vote held at last month's
World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, which reserved
470-694 MHz (U.S. Chs. 14-51) for broadcasting. (See "ITU Affirms UHF for
Broadcasting.")
"The decision for a global No Change in the 470-694/698MHz band... ensures a
harmonized use of the band for terrestrial broadcasting and creates favorable
conditions for the continuous development of digital terrestrial television,"
the WBU said in a statement.
The WBU noted that the vote gives European broadcasters the confidence to
invest in "releasing the 700 MHz band and repacking the lower UHF band in order
to accommodate the existing TV services. Furthermore, this will facilitate the
transition to new technologies like DVB-T2 and the introduction of a wider
range of high-definition programs and innovative services like interactive
hybrid broadcast-broadband services."
Further, it said that in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, the
Middle-East and Asia, broadcasters will be able to invest in the rollout of
digital over-the-air TV and complete their digital transitions.
"Common action concerted between all broadcasting unions at WRC was aimed to
preserve the fundamental interests and universal values of the public and
national broadcasters based on what make the distinctiveness of the public
service: accessibility, inclusion, respect and tolerance" said Tewfik Khelladi,
president of the AUB at the opening of that union's General Assembly. "What we
have achieved together at WRC will allow us to protect broadcasting services
until at least 2023, making it finally possible to deploy the DTT services all
around Africa within these coming years."
Regarding North America, the WBU said "the decision to maintain the globally
harmonized primary allocation to broadcasting only, broadcasters can return
their focus to the unprecedented incentive auction proceeding, currently
scheduled to begin in the spring of 2016. At this point in time, no one knows
if the incentive auction will fail or succeed in repurposing spectrum for
mobile services. Either way, the result will be driven by economics, not by
speculation. With the successful outcome of WRC-15, broadcasters now have
confidence to continue to invest in their future by developing, implementing,
and transitioning to advanced DTT technologies."
"Broadcasters' cooperation and coordination before and during WRC-15 was
essential for securing continued access to the UHF spectrum for over-the-air
TV," the WBU said. "They have successfully demonstrated the universal
importance of terrestrial broadcasting and supported the national
administrations throughout the WRC-15 negotiations."
"With the regulatory certainty in the use of the UHF spectrum resulting from
this WRC-15, the continuing cooperation will enable broadcasters from all over
the world to share their knowledge and best practices to establish and further
develop DTT as an essential broadcasting platform for the foreseeable future."
WBU member, the International Association of Broadcasting, said the vote was a
"remarkable acknowledgment to broadcasting for its transcendental role as an
instrument for freedom of expression and information, social cohesion,
dissemination of culture, entertainment and for its contribution to distribute
information in case of natural emergencies."
Michael McEwen, director general of the North American Broadcasters Association
said, "Despite some pre-emptive efforts from the wireless industry to spin the
facts, only a handful of countries actually support reallocation. In contrast,
and despite relentless pressure from the wireless industry to reallocate ever -
increasing amounts of spectrum for paid services, a much larger group of
nations is opposed to such reallocation. This is in recognition of the
importance of over-the-air television, including its spectrum efficiency, its
prospects of continued technological advancement, and its delivery of new
services."
The Arab States Broadcasting Union and the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union also
released statements of support for the World Radiotelecommunications
Conference, an ad hoc body of the International Telecommunications Union.
Also see Radio World's "Q&A: Robert Weller at WRC-15."
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