> > >The questions to ask IMO are: > >1. If analog OTA were shut off, how many households would >*actually* remain disenfranchised? Point being, I believe that >way over 94.7 percent of households have access to one form of >TV or other, even if analog OTA were shut off. If nothing else, >STBs could be provided to low income households at a huge >discount *if* these households don't already subscribe to cable >or DBS. > As I've noted previously, after 9/11, when all NY stations remained on cable and satellite but only WCBS-TV stayed on the air, WCBS-TV ratings skyrocketed, and the others fell. Now that the others are back on the air, WCBS is back where it was. Draw your own conclusions about the value of OTA in the nation's largest market. >2. Since telephone service is characterized as a lifeline >service, and the telcos are required provide the level of >system availability that such a service implies, does it even >make sense to compare the two? You don't need a TV set for >any emergency information. All you need is a $15 clock radio >(or whatever they're going for these days). > With TV in 98% of households, it seems to be the preferred way to notify people of emergencies. Again, draw your own conclusions. TTFN, Mark ' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.