CRTC and government need to fine-tune high definition plans for OTA

Echoing a long-held apprehension about the financial feasibility of converting over-the-air (OTA) signals to digital, the president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters says plans for high definition OTA need to be clarified and fine-tuned as the 2011 deadline for the switch to digital approaches. In an interview with Canadian Communications Reports, Glenn O’Farrell says his industry is still “unclear and unsure” of the CRTC’s assumptions when it comes to Canada’s transition to OTA digital, currently set for August 11, 2011. “In Canada you have large markets that receive over-the-air signals in secondary and tertiary size markets. The question that one could ask off the top is, ‘do you expect that all transmission facilities have to convert to digital, or is there some other way of ensuring that Canadians have access to the distribution of high definition signals via cable or satellite?’ That’s where the plan needs to be hammered out in its finest details.”Canadian broadcasters have long questioned the wisdom of converting analog OTA signals to digital, saying the costs are prohibitive, and that it makes no financial sense when only a tiny fraction of the population still relies on analog transmissions. Nearly nine out of 10 Canadians receive their television through cable and satellite, which O’Farrell describes as more efficient systems for delivering HD.He also calls for a more concerted effort between government and industry to ensure an effective and consumer-focused transition to digital, arguing that the federal government should take a lead in establishing an industry-government working group to supervise the switch.“In a nutshell, we hope there will be a willingness on behalf of the government, to participate in a working group with the industry to create and disseminate the appropriate plan so Canadians understand what it involves and what to expect in changes for the consumer and to dispel any myths,” says O’Farrell.O’Farrell’s call comes in the wake of a June rebuke by CRTC Chair Konrad von Finckenstein that Canadian broadcasters were dragging their feet on the transition to digital. Private broadcasters, however, have defended themselves, saying they are doing all they can to facilitate the transition to digital. In what can be interpreted as a response to the criticism, CAB wrote a letter to Industry Minister Jim Prentice at the end of July, requesting the formation of a working group consisting of players from the broadcast industry and government officials. “We have not received a formal response yet. We have received what I would call a warm response to the letter in terms of the discussion we have had,” says O’Farrell.As for how the industry is preparing for the transition to digital, O’Farrell says broadcasters have invested significantly in in-house HD production equipment for capturing content, adding that such investments are likely to continue until the final day for the switch.This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. completed the testing of an early transition to digital in Wilmington, N.C. It involved a collaborative effort between the FCC, broadcasters in the city, and the municipal government. Asked whether the CRTC should start thinking of asking a community in Canada to test the transition, O’Farrell said such plans should be outlined only when all the final details of the roll-out to digital are available.

CRTC and government need to fine-tune high definition plans for OTA

Broadcast | September 11, 2008

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