Re: [Swprograms] The Reality of Digital Television Doesn't Meet the Hype -- Whose Fault Is That? - washingtonpost.com
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Re: [Swprograms] The Reality of Digital Television Doesn't Meet the Hype -- Whose Fault Is That? - washingtonpost.com



Two observations:

The article was spot on when it was pointed out that it was the broadcast TV
stations, more than any other entity that delayed the transition to digital.
Only when finally forced to do so by the FCC and Congress, did things move
forward.  In the end, the broadcast industry has been their own worst enemy. 

I also found it curious that in discussing the local (Washington DC) market, the
author failed to note one of the most innovative uses of secondary channels,
that being performed by MHz Networks.  Via their two DC area public broadcasting
signals, they carry 10 different feeds; none of them shopping channels, old
reruns, or repeats of other programming.  Most MHz programming is international
in flavor.  The author seems to have totally missed this.  Sadly, they are the
rare exception nationally.  MHz provides a national feed available to other
public television outlets in the US for their secondary channels.  At last
count, only about 20 or so have picked up MHz Network for one of their channels.
Instead, most are offering yet more alternate feeds of the existing PBS driven
programming. 

I've personally met with the programming staff at several television stations in
my area.  I came away with the feeling that across the board you could
characterize their view of the secondary channels as:  a) Where's the revenue?
b) Corporate says we have to air (_________) so that's what we are doing and c)
We don't know what we are going to do.  The complete lack of imagination seemed
to be worse than that of the programming for the alternate HD Radio channels
(and that is hard).  

--
-Rob de Santos
Columbus, OH

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Cuff [mailto:rdcuff@xxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 10:05 AM
To: Shortwave programming discussion
Subject: [Swprograms] The Reality of Digital Television Doesn't Meet the Hype --
Whose Fault Is That? - washingtonpost.com

On the eve of the eve of the digital cutover...

See

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/09/AR2009060903144.
html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

or

http://snipurl.com/ju2o6

Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA


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