July 1, Feb. 17 Concern Small Cable Operators
Breakfast Panel at ACA Washington Summit Focuses on Ban on Set-Tops with Integrated Security, Analog-TV Cutoff
By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 4/17/2007 9:29:00 AM
Washington -- Independent cable operators kicked off their lobbying summit here Tuesday voicing dour concerns about the double-whammy the industry faces: the July 1 ban on set-tops with integrated security and the 2009 cutoff of analog-TV service.
“Train wreck” is how Steven Brookstein, executive vice president of operations for Bresnan Communications, described the two looming events during a breakfast panel, sponsored by Multichannel News, at the American Cable Association’s 14th Annual Washington Summit.
But Brookstein, noting that Bresnan is among operators that have filed for waivers of the July 1 ban, added, “We’re abiding by the rules.”
The issues of the Feb. 17, 2009 all-digital deadline and the July 1 prohibition of integrated set-tops are expected to be key topics that the ACA discuss with lawmakers on the Hill this week.
Panelist Jim Gleason, CEO of NewWave Communications, said neither broadcasters nor legislators have thought through the consequences of the 2009 transition to digital.
“That’s why we’re here,” Gleason said, referring to the need to educate Capitol Hill “on what a big problem this is going to be.”
Under questioning by panel moderator Tom Steinert-Threlkeld, editor in chief of Multichannel News, Gleason pointed out that the way the transition would work now, the multiple TV sets of many consumers would be rendered useless to receive broadcasters’ digital signals. And he doesn’t want to throw any of his TV sets out.
“How may people here have more than one TV?” Gleason asked the audience.
“I have 10. But you know what? Come February of ’09, I’m going to be happy with just watching one or two of them. I won’t want to watch those others anymore,” he added sarcastically.
The ACA talked about starting a consumer-education initiative, which would position cable as “a hero” in terms of the digital transition, according to Gleason, rather “than the guys who caused the problem.”
Both Gleason and Brookstein reiterated cable’s quest for the right to downconvert a broadcaster’s digital signals to analog. Gleason, though, preferred the term convert to downconvert, which he said has a negative connotation.
The ACA holds an annual summit here where it updates members on legislative issues, capped with those small cable operators visiting their own lawmakers.
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