Brad on Broadcast

In the October issue, EOM column author Anthony Gargano writes, “Is the broadcast community asleep at the switch? It certainly appears so. H-e-l-l-o-o?! Are you awake out there? Microsoft, Google, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry (CTIA) and what seems like a cast of thousands all seemingly being aided and abetted by the FCC are on a mission. They want to evict you from your frequency, taking away your most valuable asset: your spectrum!

It is dumbfounding to see the lack of any meaningful effort at engaging the public about this threat to the broadcast community.”



This Broadcast Engineering reader agrees, and asks why broadcasters are quiet on the spectrum issue.

“Regarding Anthony Gargano’s EOM column in the October, 2011 BE (sorry I’m a bit behind in my reading), he is absolutely correct! Here in the Washington, DC area radio spots have been running regularly on the primary news/info station extolling the virtues of “more spectrum for wireless broadband.” These spots are sponsored by the CTIA and are nothing but rhetoric aimed at getting the public to call their representatives. The public is quite enamored with their wireless phones and internet devices. They have no concept of how “spectrum” is really used, or why, and they may not realize what will be lost if broadcasting is squeezed out.

Where are the competing spots from the broadcasting industry???”

Eric Wenocur

Washington, D.C.

A Broadcast Engineering reader provides his thoughts on the recent nation-wide EAS test. Did it work? See below.

Good day…

A few years ago I once commented on an article you had written about the EAS (former EBS) system in the country. You may recall how I reported how I felt the over testing of the system was tantamount to ‘crying wolf’ and how a lot of the public mostly ignores the alerts even when there is something substantive broadcast.

This last weeks nationwide test failed in my opinion if for nothing else than for the unintelligible quality of the audio that I heard on the several stations that I found carrying the test. I quickly tuned around the band on a device that a consumer would have easy access to - a car radio.

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Broadcast Engineering reader and noted expert on HDTV, projectors and ATSC reception, Pete Putman today offered his thoughts on the FCC’s latest suggestion.



October 13th, 2011

A news story in the Wednesday 10/12 edition of the New York Times announced that the Federal Communications Commission is partnering with Best Buy’s Geek Squad to teach Americans how to use the Internet and take full advantage of broadband services that are available to them.

According to the story, only 68% of Americans are taking advantage of broadband access. The author of the article compares that rate unfavorably to South Korea, where over 90% of Koreans use available broadband services.

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New research says that consumers are putting the brakes on purchases of new TV sets. Perhaps in response to lost jobs, foreclosures and other financial factors, American viewers’ plans to buy new TV sets have plunged to record low levels.

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Are you the kind of person who communicates well? Do you have your own forum or post on other technical forums? Would you like to help create an active dialog space for Broadcast Engineering readers?

Shortly we’ll be launching a technical forum where engineers, operators, managers and other broadcast and production personnel can engage in a dialog between themselves and other experts. In the forum, readers will be able to ask questions, provide feedback and, in general, talk with others who share your needs and concerns. The Broadcast Engineering forum will become the perfect place to let others know how you feel about a broad range of technical, regulatory and other professional topics or to ask questions when you need help.

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In the previous column, key issues regarding backup and archive solutions were reviewed. Each approach represents quite different solutions to non-similar tasks. A backup solution represents a business insurance policy. It helps the company continue operation over days, weeks, perhaps months after the occurrence of some catastrophic event. The data for a backup solution should be stored off-site, perhaps hundreds of miles distant. more

Broadcasters and other content producers are increasingly facing huge amounts of data that must be stored, edited and played out. Now repeat that process. The result is that new ways are being developed to retain programming, both finished and raw, that permit online-like operation, but without the huge cost of vast arrays of spinning disks. more

I just finished reading a May 2011 report titled, “If a TV station broadcasts in the forest.” It was written by Thomas W. Hazlett, professor of law and economics at George Mason University and managing director of Arlington Economics. Given the report’s title, I did not expect him to be complimentary to television broadcasters — and he was not. more

The Open Video Mobile Coalition (OMVC) and Broadcast Engineering magazine today announced plans to jointly produce a one-day technical conference designed to provide television station, group and network engineers with the knowledge needed to ensure successful deployment of Mobile DTV service as part of their digital TV transmissions. more

Is your station planning to tap into the 77 million household audience by providing mobile television programming? In a press release, Anne Schelle, executive director of the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) said, “OMVC continues to track the progress made by broadcasters who are turning on mobile DTV. The numbers of broadcasters on-the-air with mobile continues to rise, with 76 stations now on the air in 32 markets … Between those stations already on-air and those who are coming soon, we project that mobile DTV will reach more than 77 million households — or more than two-thirds of all viewers in America – in the next twelve months.” more