FCC's Martin on Digital TV Transition Dual-carriage, must-carry and consumer concerns In an extensive interview today with Broadcasting & Cable, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin talks at length about the upcoming migration to digital TV. Responding to Commissioner Adelstein’s accusation that the FCC hasn’t made enough mandatory public-interest obligations, Martin says that all of the old analog obligations still apply and that they are working on new ones as well. He also discusses the pro-viewer policies being adopted, the recent “must carry” ruling, and the effect of the transition on seniors who might be caught unaware of the changes. He says that his biggest concern has been that customers wouldn’t know about the transition’s effects on them but that the recent approval of dual-carriage allays these fears. When addressing one of the hot topics of the day, how recent rulings may affect small cable broadcasters, Martin vaguely pushes the blame for any resulting problems on Congress: “B&C: Small-market cable operators argue that without that “carve out” for small cable operators, they won't be able to roll out rural broadband, which is a priority for the FCC.
Martin: I think it is critical that we implement the law that requires that every cable subscriber be able to view the local broadcast signals that they are required to carry. Congress explicitly said that broadcast stations must be viewable, and that is a legal requirement that I thought it was important for us to enforce.”
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  ARGONAUTgot ping?Premium
join:2006-01-24
New Albany, IN
 ·Insight Communic..
| Cable scores in 2009 With the lack of converters in 2009 cable subscribers numbers go way up, because of local broadcasts on cable.
Thank you, Mr. Obvious 
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|  |  BF69Premium
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Camden, TN | Re: Cable scores in 2009 said by ARGONAUT:With the lack of converters in 2009 cable subscribers numbers go way up, because of local broadcasts on cable. Thank you, Mr. Obvious Where do you get there will be a lack of converters? Not to mention than anyone that bought a new 27 inch or higher TV since March 2006 or smaller since March 2007 already has a converter built inside their Tv. | |
| | |  KA3SGM- -... ...- -Premium
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West Chester, PA
 ·Verizon FiOS
 ·Cricket Broadband
| Re: Cable scores in 2009 said by BF69: Where do you get there will be a lack of converters? Not to mention than anyone that bought a new 27 inch or higher TV since March 2006 or smaller since March 2007 already has a converter built inside their Tv. The oldest TV in my house is a 1964 vintage Zenith B/W set that I restored, and it does get used everyday.
Most recent TV's are 3-5 years old, 10 years old, and 17 years old.
I have 2 HD sets that are not an issue here, but I do have 3 kids that each have their own TV, in addition to the ones myself or my wife might be watching.
I earn too much to even qualify for the 2 $40 coupons, so I need to purchase 6 of those 'theoretical' $50-$75 converters, or rent cable boxes, to continue the use of those Tv's.
What happens if the converter boxes end up being in short supply, and are in the $100+ range.
This is indisputably an unfunded mandate on the American public.
At the very least, might you know what line on the IRS 1040A form I should enter the cost of the converters on.
If I have to put up the money myself, at the very least, I am not paying any Federal Income Tax on the money spent for the converters, or Cable TV box rentals, to keep my perfectly fine Analog TV's functioning.
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| | | | | | Re: Cable scores in 2009 said by KA3SGM:
I earn too much to even qualify for the 2 $40 coupons, so I need to purchase 6 of those 'theoretical' $50-$75 converters, or rent cable boxes, to continue the use of those Tv's. Where did you get that if you make too much money you can't get a coupon? According to the dtvtransition websiteany household can get a converter box income does not matter. | |
| | | | | ARGONAUTgot ping?Premium
join:2006-01-24
New Albany, IN Reviews:
·Insight Communic..
| Re: Cable scores in 2009 Purchase a digital-to-analog converter box that plugs into an existing television. The boxes, which are expected to cost between $50 - 70 will be available for purchase in 2008. Beginning on January 1, 2008, U.S. households can request up to two coupons valued at $40 each. I don't see who is supplying these coupons?
And why should I re-pay too view public transmissions?
Again, cable wins here.
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| | | | | | | | Re: Cable scores in 2009 "We are from the government we are here to take care of you."
According to the website www.ntia.doc.gov The NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration)is in charge of the program:
"The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has launched the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program (Coupon Program), as authorized in the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005." | |
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| | | BF69Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | said by KA3SGM:said by BF69: Where do you get there will be a lack of converters? Not to mention than anyone that bought a new 27 inch or higher TV since March 2006 or smaller since March 2007 already has a converter built inside their Tv. The oldest TV in my house is a 1964 vintage Zenith B/W set that I restored, and it does get used everyday. Most recent TV's are 3-5 years old, 10 years old, and 17 years old. I have 2 HD sets that are not an issue here, but I do have 3 kids that each have their own TV, in addition to the ones myself or my wife might be watching. I earn too much to even qualify for the 2 $40 coupons, so I need to purchase 6 of those 'theoretical' $50-$75 converters, or rent cable boxes, to continue the use of those Tv's. What happens if the converter boxes end up being in short supply, and are in the $100+ range. This is indisputably an unfunded mandate on the American public. At the very least, might you know what line on the IRS 1040A form I should enter the cost of the converters on. If I have to put up the money myself, at the very least, I am not paying any Federal Income Tax on the money spent for the converters, or Cable TV box rentals, to keep my perfectly fine Analog TV's functioning. A) just because you choose to use old technology from the 60's doesn't mean the rest of the world has to wait for you to catch-up. Some people still want to use horse and buggy doesn't mean we build horse lanes only on the interstates.
Also so what if your 3 kids each have their own TV. Any child expert will tell you kids shouldn't have their own TV anyways. If you think TV is so damned important to them you'll get the converter boxes. Which if you have cable you won't need them. If you only have OTA on them then WTF is the point of them having a TV? For what 6 channels?
B) You admit to having 7 TVs including two HDTV, yet bitch about the price of a converter box? That's like a Hummer owner complaining about the prices of gas.
How long do we wait? What is an appropriate amount of time? 5 more years, 10, 20? We've already put off the transition 2 other times already. | |
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| |  Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4 | Re: Alfred E. Newman??? said by KA3SGM:That's the guy from MAD magazine. 
WOW, I had no idea he was real. Why is he running the FCC in the first place, and making my perfectly good TV sets obsolete?? LOL. Good pick up. They do look alike.
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join:2003-10-23
Ottawa, IL | Re: Alfred E. Newman??? Scary | |
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|  Jmartz
join:2000-07-20
Tenafly, NJ | said by KA3SGM:Why is he running the FCC in the first place, and making my perfectly good TV sets obsolete?? Because it's time to catch up with the rest of the world. Your TV will still work, with a VCR, Gaming Console, DVD Player, etc. If you want over the air reception, you will need to get a box. But if you subscribe to cable, you'll still have plenty of analog choices to chose from... but Cable is going the same way... 3 years after Feb 2009, you'll probably be missing a lot of analog stuff on your cable system... again, to make room for new technology. Analog holds things back because it just takes up too much space... having a 100% digital system with no analog at all will enable your cable company to offer a lot more than they currently do.
Cable companies have been going after analog subscribers for a while. Cablevision booted all PPV and premiums off analog nearly 2 years ago... and because they did that, they are able to offer us nearly 40 HD channels. | |
| | | | | Re: Alfred E. Newman??? This is the same argument that was spewed to the masses when Clinton was telling the USA that we would have 40mb speeds in a decade. "It's time to catch up"....please. The analog to digital transition from Comcast alone in the Chicagoland area has been at best somewhere between a Clusterf*** and FUBAR!
Now our gov't is doling out converters and expecting this to be a smooth transition?
I can see it now...an immediate appropriations bill that pays freaksquad billions of dollars help in this pending disaster!
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| | | | | If you want digital cable you need a box or some form of conversion. And we don't have to wait for Feb 2009 to miss the analog stuff. Charter has just lopped another channel from the analog expanded basic lineup with no corresponding drop in price. I have too many TVs (mostly old) to put a digital box on each so I will keep the analog for a while. I do have an HD TV, but it doesn't get digital cable so it would require a box. It does get over the air digital, but reception is so lousy that I rarely attempt to view it. When I first got that TV, I was 3-6 miles from the local stations and still couldn't get a decent signal with an indoor antenna. There wasn't (maybe still isn't) anything interesting enough to go for the outdoor antenna. | |
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| BF69Premium
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | said by KA3SGM:Why is he running the FCC in the first place, and making my perfectly good TV sets obsolete?? You realize that the law that mandated the end of analog TV transmissions was passed in the early-mid 90's when Martin was just barely out of college. | |
| | | KA3SGM- -... ...- -Premium
join:2006-01-17
West Chester, PA Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
·Cricket Broadband
| Re: Alfred E. Newman??? said by BF69:You realize that the law that mandated the end of analog TV transmissions was passed in the early-mid 90's when Martin was just barely out of college. Well evidently he learned very little in College.
He doesn't know what a corporate monopoly is, only that he got paid some serious money from corporate lobbyists to create one.
Public relations studies?? Why don't I go more than a few days without talking with someone that has ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA that this Analog to Digital switchover affects them.
Digital TV is only an option right?? No sorry it's mandatory. HUH??!!! WTF???
That's the typical reaction from those that are not very tech savvy. The elderly?? Forget it.
They largely have no clue, the unfortunate members of the rabbit ears generation.
Black & White to Color, the B/W sets still worked.
Addition of UHF channels, the VHF still worked.
Addition of Closed Captioning, the old set still worked.
Introduction of MTS Stereo and SAP audio, the old set still worked.
Shut down of Analog broadcasting?? Well, so much for the OLD set, unless you understand what an why it happened, and you still need some tech knowlege to install the new converters.
CONVERTERS WHICH ARE STILL NOT READILY AVAILABLE, AND NOT FOR $40 OR LESS
Kevin Martin is the guy that can twist arms to hit the brakes on this, and give it until at least 2011, long enough to better educate the public, get the converters out there that are cheap and working, and assure no one gets left in the dust on this.
Unfortunately, he will unlikely lift a finger, unless it is to endorse another paycheck from Industry Lobbyists.
We are more likely to see him vote to approve AT&T's acquisition of Qwest and Alltel, and Verizon's acquisition of AT&T, before he would ever consider him doing something for the sensible benefit of the American Public.
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 sporkmedrop the crantini and move it, sisterPremium,MVM
join:2000-07-01
Morristown, NJ
·Optimum Online
1 edit | That Picture... Something about that picture makes him look extremely shifty. By shifty, I mean, you walk into a swanky hotel room and there's lines of coke on the glass coffee table... there's blood splattered here and there, and then in the bathroom there's two dead hookers in the bathtub. You turn around and see Martin in the corner of the room with a bloodied LodgeNet keyboard which he has obviously used to bludgeon the hookers until their brains oozed out.
I mean, that's just what I get when I look at the guy.
edit: oh yeah, and the hookers are provided by the telco lobbyists | |
| | | Kill your TV The day TV died......The U.S. found itself again.... | |
| |  dvd536as Mr. Pink as they comePremium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
kudos:4 | Re: Kill your TV said by Techie714:The day TV died......The U.S. found itself again.... TV died the day they introduced the "Program length commercial" also known as "paid programming".
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| | | | | Re: Kill your TV said by dvd536:TV died the day they introduced the "Program length commercial" also known as "paid programming". I second that statement. | |
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 MrMoodyFree range slavePremium
join:2002-09-03
Smithfield, NC | Political doubletalk What a bunch of meaningless babble. He supports both sides of everything. | |
| |  DrModemPremium
join:2006-10-19
USA
kudos:1 | Re: Political doubletalk what poltician doesent? | |
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 caffeinatorComing soon to a cup near you..Premium
join:2005-01-16
WA, USA
kudos:3
 ·CenturyLink
| Good for some... Not so much for others.
I got a made-in-USA 1994 Zenith set that works just fine and gets 10+ channels of OTA with my trusty RatShack rabbit ears. It'll be working most likely after the avarage new T.V. made in Taiwan self-destructs.
(more channels than that actually, but I don't count TBN and HSN as I don't watch that)
Cable, HD, Digital, et al, blah. I neither need nor can afford all that crap.
I won't be watching any of that and have never had Cable. Since when is HD and Cable a necessity for life in this country? Aren't the airwaves free anymore?
Sure, I'm on SS/SSI and will get a voucher for a converter...but none of it benefits me at all...it's just a PITA.
Only those people who've got the bucks for the newfangled gear and services get anything from it. Adding more HD channels dosen't mean diddly to me since I don't use Cable or have a HD set.
Progress, Schmogress.
Progress is great, if you can afford it.
My .02
-CaFF
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