[opendtv] Re: The "real" problem with OFDM in the U.S.
- From: Kon Wilms <kon@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2005 01:44:06 -0800
On Fri, 2005-03-18 at 20:10 -0500, Manfredi, Albert E wrote:
> > Imagine how efficient it might be if one of the
> > national networks created a national station with
> > NO local content but was the same channel
> > everywhere. Big sticks plus repeaters/fillers
> > everywhere. No boundaries to worry about except at
> > the US borders.
>
> EXACTLY, Tom. You nailed it. And all that would take
> is a very simple change to the *national* ownership
> cap, and no change to the local ownership caps.
> In Europe, for the most part (the parts I know),
> that is the situation. There are some local-only
> stations here and there, but most of the stations
> are national networks. And ads work all over, because
> they are for products available everywhere.
I take it this isn't centralcasting since it has all been done before
(and failed).
European countries are *small* relative to the USA. You can be pretty
sure that things like weather although with slight variances is spot-on
or close to it. The USA is large - with populations in single cities the
size of some small european countries. This just doesn't make sense.
And we haven't even hit on timezones and other issues like making staff
redundant yet keeping monkeys at the console which can't be relied on in
real emergencies.
Also, I take it neither of you have ever lived in a country with a
national broadcast system. I count South Africa, Malaysia, and Germany.
And for all of those I just sit back and say THANK GOD for local
programming.
The news is at least a half-hour, because it has to cover all areas of
the country (and poorly at that). Same for the weather. Due to the fact
that the news is spotty you have to rely on reading a newspaper or
something else to get 'local news'.
Same goes for everything else. You just can't please everyone all the
time and you end up with something that feels very state-run and is just
a bunch of crappy programming. Its no wonder it is always the subject of
jokes.
> There are exceptions, but so what? They are easily
> accommodated.
Yeah? When is prime-time in a national broadcast? 7pm, or 10?
Now if you're saying mix in some centralcasting for some local flavor,
let me just say:
USA Networks tried this idea in 1999 (or was it 2000) which I had the
displeasure of witnessing first-hand ala contribution splicers not
splicing, transmission system replication nightmares, vyvx operators
turning stuff off when it came time to go home for the evening, ARG ATM
interfaces fritzing, ... what a mess. Big plans, with the aim of
simplifying the network distribution across the board. Complexity got
the better of it and it went up in smoke.
Cheers
Kon
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