ALTV backs must-carry fight
Panel also discusses delay in digital TV rollout
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Declaring that broadcasters aren't "dinohours," Hedlund kicked-off ALTV's annual seminar on public policy, one of the headliners leading into NATPE. He said broadcasters will make a successful transition to digital TV, despite all the naysayers.
His comments came as the industry awaited confirmation that the FCC has decided it would be unconstitutional to make a cabler carry both a broadcaster's digital and analog signals during the transition period.
"There has to be must-carry. I am not ready to give that up," Hedlund said. "The people cannot come if people can't see it."
Hedlund's comments were followed by a panel duking it out over the long delay in getting digital TV up and running.
In addition to the dual-carriage issue, there has been trouble getting digital television sets and set-top boxes to the average consumer.
There also is the tricky matter of Hollywood's fight to encrypt movies aired over digital systems.
Top that off with some key lawmakers beginning to question the wisdom of giving broadcasters the digital spectrum for free and TV landscape is indeed tricky.
National Assn. of Broadcasters exec VP for TV Chuck Sherman said it's important for all sides to stop griping. He touted numbers showing that digital TV stations are on the rise, with a current total of 174 stations in 61 markets.
"Who wrecked the train? Everybody involved. Now we should move forward. We were also to blame for this. And the FCC believed in jaw-boning and not in helpful regulation" Sherman said.
Likewise, Consumer Electronics Assn. prexy-CEO Gary Shapiro said the manufacturer of digital TV sets and set-top boxes is on the rise.
Cox Television prexy Andrew Fisher called upon manufacturers to do even more and stop complaining about various licensing requirements.
"Receivers aren't good enough yet. The confusion in the showrooms is colossal," Fisher said.
