On Sun, Feb 8, 2009 at 12:26 PM, pedegars <[email protected]> wrote:
> I'm not a tee vee analyst, but it would seem to me that there would be > stations in larger markets (ie, urban areas) that will go ahead and > switch early (or attempt to) and stations in smaller markets and rural > areas that will decide it's not worth the possible wrath of the > viewing public to risk switching before 6/17 (especially when they are > least likely to have staff that can accurately answer technical > questions). >From what I can tell, you have it backwards. The larger markets are typically O&Os, and thus have a larger till from which to draw from. They have the resources to extend the deadline and run concurrent analog and digital signals. The smaller market stations are typically affiliates, and their respective owners have little to no interest in increasing their operating budgets to cover the expense of extending the deadline. My local market, San Diego, is making the switch on the 17th, with the exception of channels 6 (CW) and 13 (MyNetwork), the two stations owned by Mexican companies. They have no plans to make the switch until their government goes through with this preposterous exercise. As for the smaller market staff being unable to "accurately answer technical questions," my brother (chief engineer of a set of stations in one of them fly-over states) would probably disagree. Setting family aside for the moment, the same engineering precepts which exist in a large market also exist in smaller markets, and the same knowledge-base and skill sets are required for both. When I was chief engineer of a college television station, I learned how to maintain a station of any size. Despite me not being in a union, I was able to tinker with network and cable equipment, and (aside from it being shinier and newer than the gear at my university... no Amiga computers, for example), devices like a waveform monitor and a vector-scope work the same way. Of course, digital came along after I graduated, and as of this year, everything I learn becomes obsolete (unless I move to Mexico). -- Kevin M. (RPCV) --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TV or Not TV .... Smart (TV) People on Ice! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
