[opendtv] Re: Fw: Re: Frames Per Second of 720P
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2008 10:13:39 -0400
At 9:14 AM -0700 7/30/08, dan.grimes@xxxxxxxx wrote:
What I am trying to get at is the fact that the broadcasting
business has become overly inflated and complicated, requiring a lot
more money and resources than is really necessary to provide the
obligation (public service) in exchange for the spectrum.
Good point. The competition is now global, as one can see from the
story about News Corp that i just posted. As the politicians and mega
corps try to move us toward a "global economy," or worse, the
replacement of national laws and regulations with homogenized global
regulations as Murdoch seems to be pushing for, the importance of
localism seems to be fading.
Consumers do not get upset if broadcasters skimp on their public
service obligations - they could care less about most locally
produced content, UNLESS a major story breaks, and then it is no
longer local, but gets coverage from the regional and national
services. A few cases in point...
When we have a hurricane here in Florida, broadcasters step up and do
a good job with their public service obligations - they do not need
to be coerced to do this, as the potential audience increases
dramatically during these periods of "emergency." In this, radio
broadcasters seem to do a better job than the TV guys, which is
entirely appropriate, since radio is the most reliable media when
power lines and cable lines start to come down.
And when there is a big story, like "Don't taze me bro," the U.F.
student who disrupted a campus speech by John Kerry and was removed
with help of tasers, the story is quickly picked up by the cable nets
and national news services.
While I can appreciate that the entire OTA system (at least old
model) may no longer be viable business-wise for the broadcaster,
and I can appreciate the need for new revenues, it is still
important to realize that the spectrum is given to them for a
purpose and that purpose must be fulfilled to the expectations of
those of us that still use it. If the broadcasters cannot do this
and stay in business, then they need to get out of broadcasting and
make their money another way.
Unfortunately, the real purpose of TV broadcasting today is to help
prop up the media oligopoly in the U.S. The big media corporations
have used the former power they once wielded with TV broadcasting to
build new empires. Local broadcasting is ONLY important to them
because of the regulatory advantage they have over competitors
because of the importance of broadcasting to the politicians
One can build a very good argument that the TV spectrum could be
used, as it is in the U.K to provide a viable and affordable
multi-channel service for the masses. Instead it is being used to
drive up, and prop up the price, of the multi-channel services.
Rather than real competition, we see a valuable resource being used
to protect the media conglomerates - and their 35% profit margins -
from competition.
I think it is unfair for a broadcasting corporation to be "given"
spectrum with an obligation, then use the spectrum to make a bunch
of money, not fulfill the obligation (consumer's expectation of the
obligation), and then compete with corporations that did have to buy
spectrum in order to make money.
Hard to disagree with this statement. The only caveat here is that
the same regulatory framework that gives the congloms their advantage
in the entertainment business gets in their way when it comes to
being competitive.
The 700 MHz spectrum is about bits...lots of bits for mobile
applications, of which TV content may only be a small piece. Not to
agree completely with Bob, but this spectrum is VERY valuable, and
most of that value is derived from the ability to use this spectrum
for whatever bits consumers demand, not just to watch Oprah.
Regards
Craig
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