FCC Begins Plan To Take Back TV

[AA9VI]

Well, someone has a brain at the FCC....
page 7:
http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2010/db1130/DOC-303095A1.pdf

"I accept that this item represents an initial step in updating our TV band rules.  Significant and
fundamental issues are deferred.  In the future, there needs to be a fulsome discussion on additional
innovative proposals to address sharing of broadband and broadcast in the TV bands, including the
possibility of a broadcast transition from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4, the adoption of a more cellularized
broadcast system, or a transition from ATSC to OFDM technologies.  These are by no means the only
potential approaches and may have their own weaknesses and strengths.  And in all fairness, we also
should ask additional questions about the future applicability of public interest obligations on broadcast
licensees. If the TV bands are to shift towards a more flexible spectrum model, it is only right to ask
whether those use restrictions should also be revisited.  "

[WPXE ION]

So I guess this means that if pulled over by a Milwaukee Sherriff while watching Hulu they will take away my smart phone?

[Xizer]

A transition from MPEG2 to MPEG4 is the only positive thing that could happen in this situation.

Which is exactly why it won't happen. They're probably going to try and cram a billion channels together all on the same frequency using the ancient MPEG2 codec.

[AA9VI]

"Voluntarily double up".  Obviously somebody has never ridden a bus or airplane.  

"Voluntarily" more likely means "Find a cash source to pay them to ... "  

Technically, I am wondering if a broadcaster moves from RF channel 40 to say, RF channel 20, what changes they will have to make to their antenna.  Does it need to be bigger or smaller?  And what about power levels?  

And are we to presume from this that there will be some subsidy for getting HD signals from the must-carry channels to Time Warner, AT&T, DirecTV, Dish ... and everyone else?  

There seem to be a lot of unanswered questions here.

The stations are not going to voluntarily double up... The FCC has to make it financially advantageous to do so.  One solution would be to increase the license filing fees so much that it doesn't make sense to have your own transmitter.  They obviously are doing quite the opposite today.  Joe Schmo who owns an egg farm in Port Washington can put up an infomercial channel on some channel that has interference from Chicago, say RF21.  As long as his pattern points mostly north, the FCC is fine with that.  They are not encouraging people to double up, even  in RF congested areas.

[foxeng]

My guess is if this goes any distance, it will be hung up in the courts for years. If the Dem's loose the White House in 2012, ole' Gen' is gone and this all goes away.

[AA9VI]

My guess is if this goes any distance, it will be hung up in the courts for years. If the Dem's loose the White House in 2012, ole' Gen' is gone and this all goes away.

you hit the nail on the head.  I have to say this much though... As much as I disagree with Julius G on many issues, I think he is more up to speed on the complexities of the issues than Colin Powell's kid ever was.