BlogDigital Cable and Public Access TV?
In February 2009, all analog television sets will go dark. Those who don’t have a digital converter box at that time won’t be able to watch television . . . period. But what does the digital television transition mean for the future of public access TV?
The answer might lie somewhere right now in Michigan and Florida.
Cable carriers in Michigan and Florida are trying to push and have pushed public access channels far up into the channel lineup of their digital cable service. PEG channels might soon go up into the 900s in Michigan and in Florida they’ve already moved into the 600s. But as BloggingBroadband.com asks about the case in Michigan:
“Is it really true that ‘Customers who choose to take only our most basic level of service receive all local PEG channels as part of that basic service today, and they will continue to receive those PEG channels on the basic service tier when they are digitized,’ as Comcast’s letter to the Chairman asserts?”
BloggingBroadband.com goes on to ask:
“Should cable companies, which use the public’s rights-of-way to deliver their services and to make a profit, be permitted to marginalize their PEG obligations because direct broadcast satellite operators – which use no public rights-of-way to deliver service – are not required to carry PEG programming?”
The Detroit Free Press writes that the move into the 900s would “require subscribers with analog televisions to buy digital, cable-ready TVs or rent or buy a digital converter box for each set.”
In February 2009, the rest of the country will have to do the same. But what does it mean for PEG channels? Events taking place in Michigan and Florida right now might provide a clearer picture into the future.
Posted in Community Media, DTV Transition, PEGTV, Public Access TV |
January 15th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Colin,
Thanks for your kind reference to my blog, BloggingBroadband.
Cable operators are attempting to create confusion around the digital transition date coming in February 2009. Importantly, that deadline merely requires the broadcasters to deliver their over-air signals in a digital format. Consequently, if an analog TV is just being used to get over-the-air broadcast signals, it may well go dark. BUT if that analog TV is hooked up to a cable system, the TV will continue to operate.
One high-ranking employee within Comcast has confirmed, for example, that the company will continue to deliver an analog lienup to customers, even after the digital transition date. The employee made the comment publicly,and it was reported nationally. According to that employee, having basic channels available without a set-top box adds value to a cable subscription. Cross channel ads produced by the NCTA also make the same point, i.e., that older TVs will not simply be unusable after the digital transition date.
Over the course of time, more and more customers will migrate to the digital tier because cable operators are moving more of the “good stuff” to digital and pricing analog basic at relatively high levels to encourage a switch. But for the foreseeable future (and well past February 2009, I suspect) analog basic will be alive and well — and that is the place where the PEG community should fight to maintain its channels.
Jon Kreucher
January 15th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Thanks for your comment and clarification, Jon.
I am also curious to see if the decision in Michigan sets any precedence for other states yet to deal with their cable operators in similar situations.
January 16th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
The DTV transition is creating alot of confusion - much to the pleasure of cable operators and equipment manufacturers. The digital transition for ‘cable providers’ as mandated by the FCC isn’t until February 17, 2012, perhaps longer pending a 2011 review. Though a cable company can go all digital sooner if they make arrangements to provide viewers with set-top boxes. (see: http://www.dtv.gov/consumercorner.html#faq4)
The issue in Michigan and Florida have more to do with loopholes in the State Video Franchise Bills that were passed in those states. Since AT&T is purely a digital service, they worked to have language removed for analog channel carriage and PEG channel placements. As it happens, the cable companies have taken advantage of the changes first - Comcast in MI and BrightHouse in FL. Other states have seen abuses by AT&T which tries to delegate PEG channels to submenu selections and transports the signals at half resolution.
PEG channels were originally required to be carried on analog cable service because that is the most ‘basic’ service available. Basic service is also the most affordable and PEG was intended to be accessible to all viewers, no matter what PEG package they could afford. The only remaining price control for cable (after the passage of the ‘96 Telecom Act) is for ‘basic cable’ rates - which are reviewed and approved by the local municipality to ensure that rates are affordable for local low-income families and seniors. With a State Video Franchise and the entrance of a competitor - these last remaining price controls are removed - and we’ve seen ‘basic’ cable rates rise in many areas as a result.
So, in the end - people are now paying more for less (what’s new) and finding their local channels will become increasingly difficult. Hopefully the Commerce Committee Hearing on Jan 29th will light a fire and Congress will begin to pursue remedies soon.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Thanks, Michael.
That does clarify things. As Jon also pointed out, it seems I was inaccurately comparing the DTV transition of analog (over-the-air) television with the situations in MI and FL.
I agree the hearing on the 29th will be an important one to pay attention to. Hopefully it will help make things even clearer.
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I found an excellent site; it had all the info about the Digital Transition and requesting the $40 coupon. I ordered my 2 coupons from it. http://www.digitalconverterbox.org
January 28th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I manage an assisted care living facility (240 beds) for retired religious women. We have a single cable feed from Comcast which is amplified and distributed throughout the house. We cannot determine if we need 240 digital converter boxes for our analog TVs or if we should apply for 240 coupons for converter boxes. I’m sure we aren’t the only facility with this dilemma, but the confusion is problematic and Comcast provides no information that will help.
January 28th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has a website with lots of information including how to request a $40 coupon here: https://www.dtv2009.gov/