kevin redding wrote: >> I think 18% of viewers get TV over the air. The vast majority have >> cable >> or satellite. However that date may get bumped again too. > > The current date is Feb 17, 2009.
And it's highly unlikely to get bumped. Keep in mind that the real motivation for the transition to DTV is coming not from the TV industry but from the wireless industry (cellular carriers, Qualcomm, etc.), which desperately covets the 700 MHz spectrum that's being vacated by analog channels 52-69, to provide space for services that can't fit in the existing 800/900 MHz spectrum. Those companies have, for the most part, already paid for the 700 MHz channels that they expect to occupy in 17 months or so. They're not going to tolerate any delays in taking full occupancy of that spectrum, and they have tremendous political pull in Washington. (Qualcomm, for example, has already taken over most of channel 55 around the country, paying analog stations on that channel to go digital-only earlier than planned. I count only 12 full-power analog stations left on 55, with at least 3 of them about to go digital-only well ahead of the deadline.) Whatever complaints are lodged in DC by "average viewers" come 2009 (and I think there will be fewer than any of us expect, given how many people now get their TV by cable or satellite) will be far outweighed by the political pull of the wireless companies. (Keep in mind, also, that the TV stations aren't necessarily eager to see the deadline get extended. Many of them are limping along to the finish line with analog transmitters that are near-death or with transmitter sites they're eager to vacate, and they're not going to want to spend the money it would take to keep the already-expensive period of dual analog/digital operation going even longer. One example: WPTA-TV and WISE-TV in Fort Wayne, which came under common operation a couple of years ago. They've consolidated studio operations at the WPTA studio/transmitter facility, but the WISE analog and digital transmitters remain in the old WISE building a mile away, which has been sold. They're paying the new owners to lease back transmitter space and antenna space on the tower. Once the transition is over, WISE-DT will take over the transmitter and tower space at the WPTA building now used by WPTA's analog signal. That day can't come soon enough for those stations!) s _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: [email protected]
