ALDO MORRI, Special to Telephony
Fearing that TV broadcasters might renege on plans to roll out full high-definition TV, lawmakers are sternly reminding the industry that free public spectrum allotted to broadcasters was intended to be used for that purpose.
"Broadcasters, by dint of their ceaseless efforts to paint HDTV as free TV's passport to the future, are being given tens of billions of dollars of public property in digital spectrum," says Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., head of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. "Having first lost the auction value of the spectrum, the public now has no real certainty of what they're likely to get in return or when they're likely to get it. And I will not accept that."
The industry denies that it is shirking any responsibilities. Indeed, Ed Fritts, president of the National Association of Broadcasters trade association, says, "Broadcasters [have] tendered a new pledge to the [Federal Communications Commission] to begin rolling out digital and [HDTV] on a wide scale by the fall of 1998. Our commitment--coupled with the fact that more than 200 stations have already placed orders for digital transmitters--signals again that our industry plans to move aggressively into the digital and high-definition arena."
An NAB spokesman says the TV industry's desire to back off HDTV plans is being exaggerated.
"Our position, and that of most broadcasters, is that HDTV is going to be the driving force behind digital television," he says. "Once people see HDTV, they are going to want nothing less."
The concerns of McCain and other legislators stem from remarks in August by ABC Inc. President Preston Padden suggesting that broadcasters were considering a modified digital broadcasting strategy known as "multicasting" or "multiplexing." HDTV takes up nearly the full 6 MHz of spectrum allotted to broadcasters, while the competing multicasting technology provides four better-than-analog-quality digital channels over the same 6 MHz.
Some broadcasters have considered a strategy in which they would provide HDTV for prime-time broadcast and special events such as sports but multicast during other time periods.
"The only group that initially talked about this was ABC, and now Padden has said that he will do HDTV," the NAB spokesman says.
In addition, Sinclair Broadcast Group in Baltimore wants to offer some kind of subscription multicast service.
"Initially, there were some lead balloons thrown up in Congress," says the spokesman. "But they obviously haven't gone over very well."
While broadcasters remain committed to HDTV, the spokesman points out that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 offers broadcasters the flexibility to do a myriad of things.
"Of course, anything that we offer that entails charging consumers would require that we pay a fee for use of the spectrum," he says.
The FCC ultimately will decide broadcasters' additional obligations, beyond current duties that include airing public affairs shows, children's educational programming and inexpensive political ads.
FCC rules now require stations owned or affiliated with the ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox networks in the 10 largest TV markets to provide some digital broadcasts within two years. Broadcasters claim that digital transmission will be offered in the 10 major U.S. markets by the end of 1998, assuming that the industry can meet all tower requirements and local and state laws. The top 30 markets are scheduled to be digitally equipped within six months.
"There is no technology right now to multicast, and if there are no HDTV sets out there to capture the signal, this may all be a moot point," says the NAB spokesman. "We are obviously working in concert with TV manufacturers."