[opendtv] News: Bicker Long Enough, Must-Carry Fixes Itself
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OpenDTV Mail List <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 09:02:15 -0500
http://www.tvtechnology.com/dailynews/one.php?id=2610
Date posted: 2004-12-23
Bicker Long Enough, Must-Carry Fixes Itself
At the annual year-end luncheon held by the National Cable
Telecommunications Association, CEO Robert Sachs pointed out that 454
digital broadcast signals were being carried by cable operators, up
from around 92 a year ago.
He pointed out that most of the 454 represented stations with
simultaneous carriage of their analog signal. It's all about the art
of the deal. Broadcasters with digital carriage ponied up good
content, Sachs said.
"Cable operators want to carry compelling programming," he said.
"We've seen that with public television."
Of all the digital signals carried on cable, Sachs estimated that
about 100 represented public stations. The multicast signals that
cable does carry originate primarily from public stations, Sachs said.
He maintained, as he has for years, that multicast must-carry
applies to a single video stream, and that " it would require an act
of Congress to change the law." If allowed enough time, as
demonstrated by the fivefold increase in the number of digital
broadcast signals carried on cable over the last year, must-carry
will work itself out in the marketplace, Sachs contends.
"There are 390 competitive channels in the market seeking affiliate
fees," he said." Broadcast would seem to have an advantage."
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