[opendtv] Re: White paper from CEA
- From: Bob Miller <bob@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 13:32:55 -0400
Craig Birkmaier wrote:
>At 1:06 PM -0400 10/27/05, Bob Miller wrote:
>
>
>>Maybe the term "broadcasting" used in broadcasting circles has taken on
>>a specific meaning understood by those who speak "broadcasting". Many of
>>us don't yet.
>>
>>
>>
>
>Come on Bob...
>
>We all understand what John means...
>
>Only those with an FCC license to broadcast in the radio and/or
>television bands are broadcasters. Everyone else is merely a
>pretender...
>
>I just spoke about the future of DTV at the Community Broadcaster's
>Association conference in Las Vegas. These folks have FCC licenses
>for Class A and LPTV channels, but they are second and third class
>citizens at best. They do not get any cable carriage rights. In rare
>cases they can negotiate carriage if they have some unique
>programming. They are being forced to use the ATSC standard despite
>the fact they they could used DVB-T to field a FTA broadcast service
>that could actually compete with cable.
>
>
Probably repeating myself but I spoke to the CBA in 1999 and 2000 about
the use of DVB-T and at that time the FCC was telling us that they
thought that LPTV stations would be allowed to use DVB-T. After all they
by definition cannot interfere with full power stations so whatever the
issues with using COFDM the LPTV stations would have to solve them or
could solve them themselves. The FCC also told us in 1999 that the rules
for LPTV to go digital would be written by the end of that year. Talked
to FCC Chairman Kennard, who also attended and didn't have a clue as to
modulation, Bruce Franca, Hossein Hashemzadeh , Keith Larson all of whom
seemed open to the idea of allowing COFDM on LPTV at the time.
In 2004 we were given by the FCC the only excuse ever offered as to why
LPTV stations would not be allowed to use COFDM. Maybe there is a small
city somewhere in the US that only has an LPTV station for OTA reception
and it would be confusing for them to have to buy two receivers. Of
course they would NOT have to buy two receivers if they only have one
LPTV station but that was not point was not answered as was our offer
to, in that case, make sure there were inexpensive receivers that did both.
Being new to TV "broadcasting" at the time I was floored by the lack of
knowledge of COFDM by all US broadcasting participants at the time. We
had just come back from demonstrations by Nokia of mobile DVB-T in
Finland and Germany in 1999 and planned on using it with LPTV stations
and possibly with full power stations for "other services".
When I gave my talk at the CBA meeting that year it was to a group that
had no info on COFDM at all. Not so surprising maybe but with calls to
most major TV broadcasters we found that only Sinclair was
It was the Sinclair demonstration that changed everything by the time of
the NAB convention in 2000. But not as we expected. We thought that
COFDM would take the industry by storm. It was very confusing to see the
ensuing and continuing disaster. The markup hearing in the House this
week shows the utter ignorance of our elected officials. Markey being
the only one who has a clue. It was apparent in watching that the
participants have NO interest in the issue except to get it done.
We have given demonstrations of mobile COFDM and talked of its other
benefits to most of the key players at the FCC and many in Congress. In
a meeting recently with Chairman of the House Commerce Committee,
Barton, we were shouted down by a Motorola rep that there was NO problem
with 8-VSB receivers what-so-ever.
Bob Miller
>Broadcasters enjoy a special place in Washington, because they are
>the only service that get's virtually 100% clearance into every home
>in the U.S. Never mind that 85% of these homes do not receive their
>broadcasts, but rather, they pay extra to get these channels
>delivered by a service that competes with REAL broadcasters...
>
>And they lavish millions each year upon the politicians that they
>help keep in power. So next year when you attend the National
>Association of Broadcasters Convention, just remember, that you, and
>all of the exhibitors that have absolutely nothing to do with
>"broadcasting," are filling the NAB war chest with cash so that REAL
>broadcasters can continue to make obscene profit margins, and force
>competitors (i.e. subscribers) to pay for something they may never
>use, just like the ATSC receivers we are being forced by the FCC to
>buy, whether we want them or not.
>
>Regards
>Craig
>
>
>
>
>
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