Chris Blount
04-01-04, 06:48 AM
Another organization is asking Congress to include some sort of provision allowing for delivery of distant digital networks to satellite TV customers as part of the reauthorization of the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act (SHVIA).
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste President Tom Schatz recently sent a letter to Congressional leaders that supports allowing satellite TV providers to deliver network broadcast digital TV programming as a distant digital service to consumers unable to get digital TV from a local broadcaster. "This is a modest change to SHVIA, which already allows rebroadcast of distant analog signals if the local broadcaster's analog signal is not available over the air," Schatz said.
If satellite TV companies are allowed to rebroadcast distant digital TV services, the amount of digital programming will increase and there will be more of a reason for consumers to purchase Digital TV, Schatz said. "Consumer demand will drive down costs and increase quality," he said. "Eventually, this will lead to a greater number of households having the ability to receive a digital broadcast from their local broadcaster."
Schatz also accused broadcasters of sitting on analog spectrum and being reluctant to move forward with digital TV. "Congress should act now to ensure that the analog spectrum is returned to the FCC by 2006 so that it can be put to more efficient uses," he said. "The longer that broadcasters are permitted to withhold the analog spectrum from others, the clearer it becomes that the government is mismanaging an important resource of the people."
The letter was sent to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet and the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property. The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste.
http://www.skyreport.com (Used with permission)
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste President Tom Schatz recently sent a letter to Congressional leaders that supports allowing satellite TV providers to deliver network broadcast digital TV programming as a distant digital service to consumers unable to get digital TV from a local broadcaster. "This is a modest change to SHVIA, which already allows rebroadcast of distant analog signals if the local broadcaster's analog signal is not available over the air," Schatz said.
If satellite TV companies are allowed to rebroadcast distant digital TV services, the amount of digital programming will increase and there will be more of a reason for consumers to purchase Digital TV, Schatz said. "Consumer demand will drive down costs and increase quality," he said. "Eventually, this will lead to a greater number of households having the ability to receive a digital broadcast from their local broadcaster."
Schatz also accused broadcasters of sitting on analog spectrum and being reluctant to move forward with digital TV. "Congress should act now to ensure that the analog spectrum is returned to the FCC by 2006 so that it can be put to more efficient uses," he said. "The longer that broadcasters are permitted to withhold the analog spectrum from others, the clearer it becomes that the government is mismanaging an important resource of the people."
The letter was sent to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet and the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property. The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste.
http://www.skyreport.com (Used with permission)