Legislative Hammer!

[Kevin Arnold]

This article appeared in TVInsight as a breaking news story. Looks like the laggard broadcasters may want to reconsider. Talk about trying to use a big stick!

 

In a move sure to spark a massive lobbying fight by the broadcast industry, a discussion draft of proposed digital-TV legislation would require broadcasters to return analog spectrum by 2006 and drop a current law allowing stations to keep analog spectrum beyond that date if fewer than 85 percent of homes in their market can receive a broadcast digital signal.

The measure is supported by the wireless industry, which is eager for the government to reclaim analog spectrum and auction it off for new uses.

Broadcasters said the 85 percent trigger is necessary to ensure their survival while consumers make the switch to digital TV.

No major consumer technology switch has been completed in the short time frame that would be required by a hard 2006 give-back date, they said.

The legislation floated Wednesday night was drafted by staffs of House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman Billy Tauzin (R-La.) and the committee's ranking Democrat, John Dingell of Michigan.

[Tom Snyder]

Go BILLY!!!!

Now we'll see who's more powerful: the TV Lobby or the Wireless lobby...

Taking any bets?

[ReesR]

Here is another report on the same subject:

 

Date posted: 2002-09-19
House Reveals Draft of DTV Bill
Following through on threats to take control of the digital television transition, lawmakers released a draft of a bill that would attack several of the barriers to DTV ubiquity.


Among other provisions, broadcasters would have to vacate their analog channels on Dec. 31, 2006. The bill would eliminate the requirement that 85 percent of a given market's viewers have DTV receivers before stations must shut off the analog.


The bill, if passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the president, could end other long-fought debates. One key item would eliminate broadcasters' hopes of forcing cable operators to carry both the digital and analog signals of a station during the transition when the digital and analog content is the same. The bill draft, however, does not address the carriage requirements when the broadcaster broadcasts multiple program streams in its digital signal.


The bill would also direct the FCC to make rules on the "broadcast flag" to prevent illegal copying of content. The bill would call for the FCC, by 2006, to protect the content without imposing unnecessary burdens on manufacturers, stifling innovation or hindering the operation of equipment made before 2006. News and public-affairs programming would be exempted from the flag, and the new rules could not "alter or diminish the functionality of consumer equipment intended for legal, noncommercial use." To prevent analog end-runs on digital copy protection, the bill would ban manufacture of equipment with analog outputs by July 2005. The bill does not explain how Congress expects the FCC to reach those required legal and technical balances.


From cable operators, the bill would require transmission using uniform standards, enabling the development of universal plug-and-play television sets, by July 2005. The bill specifically would not require two-way capability.


On the subject of built-in digital TV receivers, the bill would affirm the recent phase-in mandated by the FCC.


The bill would also mandate a phased-in requirement for network-affiliated stations to pass through network signals without signal degradation, meaning that a high-definition network program could not be downconverted to standard definition.


The bill draft does not include any requirement of high-definition programming by networks, nor does it mandate any high-definition programming by cable or satellite operators.


The House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet will hold a hearing on the legislation Wed., Sept. 25. A witness list for the hearing has not yet been released.


NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The National Cable and Telecommunications Association issues a noncommittal statement that it would "look forward to working with the committee" and would continue to seek inter-industry solutions.
 



------------------
Rees Roberts
Racine, WI
reesr@wi.net

HDTV Receiver:  Sony KD-34XBR2
Bi-directional Yagi Antenna at 30 feet

[ReesR]

Staff Draft, H.R._________, Regarding the Transition to Digital Television

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce

W.J. "Billy" Tauzin, Chairman
==========================================

Section-By-Section of Staff Draft, H.R._________, Regarding the Transition to Digital Television.

Section 1.          SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section 2.          FINDINGS.  

Section 3.     ENSURE THE AVAILABILITY OF ANALOG TELEVISION SPECTRUM FOR FUTURE USES.  Removes the conditions that enable the FCC to extend the deadline within which television broadcasters are to cease analog television service.  Television broadcasters would be required to cease analog television service (and operate in digital) by December 31, 2006.  

Section 4.     PASS-THROUGH OF NETWORK DIGITAL SIGNALS.  Directs the FCC to establish a schedule by which network affiliates are to pass-through the high-definition signals provided by the network.    

Section 5.     DIGITAL TELEVISION BROADCAST FLAG RULEMAKING.   Directs the Commission to promulgate rules to require digital devices capable of receiving a digital signal to recognize the use of a broadcast flag by January 1, 2006, in order to prevent the unauthorized redistribution of marked digital terrestrial broadcast television content to the public over the Internet.   Directs the FCC to establish an expedited process, which may include self-certification, by which the FCC shall determine whether proposed content protection technologies satisfy the requirements of this section.  Directs the FCC to establish a set of objective technical criteria that: identify technology to protect digital broadcast television content and prevent transmissions to the public over the Internet; do not impose unnecessary or unreasonable burdens on product design or manufacture, or stifle innovation; protect the full functionality of consumer equipment manufactured prior to January 1, 2006; and to the maximum extent possible are technologically neutral, recognize and utilize multiple technologies that have been developed by private industry;  and takes into account advances in technology,  Directs the FCC to provide  for the termination of equipment with analog outputs by July 1, 2005.  Directs the FCC to ensure availability of news and public affairs programming by prohibiting the use of the broadcast flag with this content.  Ensures that content providers and manufacturers of equipment are free to incorporate  broadcast flag technology licensing terms (including compliance, robustness and encoding rules) that do not alter or diminish the functionality of consumer equipment intended for legal, noncommercial use; and that are not broader than necessary to prevent theft of services.  Provides an exemption for professional equipment.  Enables parties to petition the FCC to sunset the broadcast flag regulations if multiple technologies are available in the marketplace, and enforcement is no longer necessary for consumers.  Requires the FCC to conduct biennial reviews of its regulations in this area.  

Section 6.     PROHIBITION OF DUAL MUST-CARRY.  Tracks the FCC's tentative conclusion that cable operators are not required to carry both the analog and the digital signal during the transition to digital television.    

Section 7.     APPLICABILITY OF MUST-CARRY REQUIREMENTS TO DIGITAL MULTICASTING.   To be supplied.  

Section 8.     DIGITAL TELEVISION CABLE COMPATIBILITY.   Directs the FCC to promulgate rules, within 120 days of enactment, to ensure nationwide interoperability with cable systems and nationwide portability of equipment sold as capable of providing digital television service when connected to a cable system.   Requires cable operators, by July 1, 2005, to transmit signals in accordance with technical standards accredited by ANSI that enable subscribers to receive, without a separate cable set-top box, basic and premium digital television cable programming in standard and high definition and simple pay-per-view standard digital programming if offered by the cable operator.  Requires cable operators by July 1, 2005 to make available to subscribers security PODs that are manufactured in accordance with standards accredited by ANSI. Requires all digital television display equipment to include digital interface connections, and ensure equipment is upgradeable.  This equipment is not required to be OpenCable Applications Platform (OCAP) compliant or compliant with any specification to provide two-way capability.  Regulations may permit a manufacturer of equipment to self-certify compliance with the regulations.  Ensures that the licensing terms (including compliance, robustness and encoding rules) that do not alter or diminish the functionality of consumer equipment intended for legal, noncommercial use; and that are not broader than necessary to prevent theft of service  and physical harm to the cable system.  

Section 9.     DIGITAL TELEVISION TUNER REQUIREMENT.  Affirms FCC  schedule to incorporate DTV tuners into devices.    

Section 10.   INTEGRATED CONVERTER-SECURITY BOXES.  Repeals FCC prohibition on MVPDs from providing new navigation devices that have security and non-security functions.

 Section 11.   CONSUMER NOTICE REQUIREMENT.  Requires that the Commission regulate conspicuous notifications to consumers of any apparatus that receives, records, or displays or navigates among television signals and to any recordings of protected works.  The equipment notices must disclose when the apparatus will not receive, record or display digital TV content.  The recording notices must disclose the classes of apparatus the will display the recording and the protection technologies that prevent such replay. Recordings of protected works include copyrighted video and its accompanying audio offered to the public

[ReesR]

Suggest a public event that you think C-SPAN should cover to:  events@c-span.org

I just sent them this:

Committee Hearing
Regarding the Transition to Digital Television
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet Hearing September 25, 2002 10:00 AM 2123 Rayburn House Office Building


If enough of us do the same maybe they would cover this hearing.  On the other hand maybe they already have it on their schedule but just not showing it on their website.

[ReesR]

To check C-Span's schedule:
 http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/cspan.csp?command=dschedule