Despite a failed webcast, yesterday’s FCC open meeting did take place, albeit 11 hours late. The result was a cable industry victory. The FCC voted unanimously to require cable operators to broadcast local digital channels in both digital and analog for three years after the DTV transition date. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin had been pushing for dual “must-carry” rules to stay effective until cable systems become 100% digital (still many years away), but the three-year-cut-off compromise proposed by the National Cable and Telecommunications Association seems to have swayed the committee.
Wondering what new local digital content is available in your neighborhood? (And will be available in analog February 18th 2009-2012…) Check out this PBS page and click on the “Station Finder” link.
I think your phrasing is a little confusing. Multichannel says the TV station can demand analog carriage for 3 years after the 2/09 date. Of course sometimes Multi is wrong.
I wonder how the FCC reconciles this with the integration ban waivers for all digital commitments when a local station can effectively nullify the all digital plans of the cable co?
No, that’s right – three years of analog carriage after the 2/09 date. Sorry if I was confusing.
Not sure I understand the second part of your comment. The 3-year requirement is only for cable operators that aren’t all-digital already. The local stations couldn’t and wouldn’t stop any all-digital plans. Once cable operators are all-digital, all of their customers will have access to local digital stations anyway.
So going all digital then voids the option of the OTA broadcaster to force a must carry of an analog version of its signal. Hmmmm.