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Crisis looms in switch to digital TV: von Finckenstein
Tuesday June 15th 2010The Canadian television industry faces a crisis if long-overdue preparations for the switch to digital TV don’t begin soon, the head of the federal regulator said Monday in a strongly worded speech.
“My great concern is that the industry will not be ready,” Konrad von Finckenstein told a breakfast gathering of producers, broadcasters and content creators at the Banff World Television Festival.
“There will be requests for delays, we will have a crisis on our hands. It must not be allowed to happen,” said the chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.
The federal government wants digital signals to be converted from analog in August, 2011, but Mr. von Finckenstein suggested a trial run begin as early as April, 2011, in Winnipeg and Quebec City to work out any possible problems.
He pointed to the painful transition south of the border in June, 2009, when the U.S. government made the switch after a delay. More than $1.5-billion (U.S.) was spent on subsidies to help consumers pay for converter boxes to receive the new signals.
Mr. von Finckenstein urged cable and satellite providers to mount a widespread consumer education campaign in Canada. He also pressed the federal government to come up with a fund to help consumers pay for the added costs that may arise.
He warned of a widespread backlash if people who currently pay nothing for TV are suddenly forced to invest in cable or satellite signals.
“Clearly, it’s politically untenable to say you have no choice, you have to go to satellite,” said Mr. von Finckenstein.
An estimated 900,000 Canadian households that rely on antennas don’t have televisions equipped to receive new digital signals. About another 44,000 won’t have access to TV content at all unless they invest in a satellite dish.
Mr. von Finckenstein said the scope of the undertaking must not be underestimated.
“Everything so far has been guesswork. I hope as a result of this we get more [clarity] on it.”
Source: CTV News
Headline, Technology News
Crisis looms in switch to digital TV: von Finckenstein
Tuesday June 15th 2010The Canadian television industry faces a crisis if long-overdue preparations for the switch to digital TV don’t begin soon, the head of the federal regulator said Monday in a strongly worded speech.
“My great concern is that the industry will not be ready,” Konrad von Finckenstein told a breakfast gathering of producers, broadcasters and content creators at the Banff World Television Festival.
“There will be requests for delays, we will have a crisis on our hands. It must not be allowed to happen,” said the chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.
The federal government wants digital signals to be converted from analog in August, 2011, but Mr. von Finckenstein suggested a trial run begin as early as April, 2011, in Winnipeg and Quebec City to work out any possible problems.
He pointed to the painful transition south of the border in June, 2009, when the U.S. government made the switch after a delay. More than $1.5-billion (U.S.) was spent on subsidies to help consumers pay for converter boxes to receive the new signals.
Mr. von Finckenstein urged cable and satellite providers to mount a widespread consumer education campaign in Canada. He also pressed the federal government to come up with a fund to help consumers pay for the added costs that may arise.
He warned of a widespread backlash if people who currently pay nothing for TV are suddenly forced to invest in cable or satellite signals.
“Clearly, it’s politically untenable to say you have no choice, you have to go to satellite,” said Mr. von Finckenstein.
An estimated 900,000 Canadian households that rely on antennas don’t have televisions equipped to receive new digital signals. About another 44,000 won’t have access to TV content at all unless they invest in a satellite dish.
Mr. von Finckenstein said the scope of the undertaking must not be underestimated.
“Everything so far has been guesswork. I hope as a result of this we get more [clarity] on it.”
Source: CTV News
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Headline, Technology News
Crisis looms in switch to digital TV: von Finckenstein
Tuesday June 15th 2010The Canadian television industry faces a crisis if long-overdue preparations for the switch to digital TV don’t begin soon, the head of the federal regulator said Monday in a strongly worded speech.
“My great concern is that the industry will not be ready,” Konrad von Finckenstein told a breakfast gathering of producers, broadcasters and content creators at the Banff World Television Festival.
“There will be requests for delays, we will have a crisis on our hands. It must not be allowed to happen,” said the chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.
The federal government wants digital signals to be converted from analog in August, 2011, but Mr. von Finckenstein suggested a trial run begin as early as April, 2011, in Winnipeg and Quebec City to work out any possible problems.
He pointed to the painful transition south of the border in June, 2009, when the U.S. government made the switch after a delay. More than $1.5-billion (U.S.) was spent on subsidies to help consumers pay for converter boxes to receive the new signals.
Mr. von Finckenstein urged cable and satellite providers to mount a widespread consumer education campaign in Canada. He also pressed the federal government to come up with a fund to help consumers pay for the added costs that may arise.
He warned of a widespread backlash if people who currently pay nothing for TV are suddenly forced to invest in cable or satellite signals.
“Clearly, it’s politically untenable to say you have no choice, you have to go to satellite,” said Mr. von Finckenstein.
An estimated 900,000 Canadian households that rely on antennas don’t have televisions equipped to receive new digital signals. About another 44,000 won’t have access to TV content at all unless they invest in a satellite dish.
Mr. von Finckenstein said the scope of the undertaking must not be underestimated.
“Everything so far has been guesswork. I hope as a result of this we get more [clarity] on it.”
Source: CTV News
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