Audio Video News

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is once again pushing for a federal mandate that cable services and satellite broadcasters be required to carry digital television signals.

On August 20, the manufacturers' organization presented its case to the Federal Communications Commission. The agency is reviewing local DTV broadcast signal carriage issues, thus offering the CEA a new opportunity to put forth its agenda. Manufacturers have long maintained that lack of available signal is the primary hindrance to winning consumers over to DTV, and that the inability of broadcasters to reach viewers hinders the development of new programming.

"Must carry" is the missing link in the DTV rollout, CEA officials stated. "Without assurance that digital broadcast signals will reach the 70 million American households that rely on a cable signal, broadcasters and programmers will have little incentive to produce compelling digital programming," explained CEA's vice president of technology policy, Michael Petricone. "Consumers will have less incentive to purchase digital television products, and it will become less likely that the digital transition will be completed by the 2006 target date. Cable carriage of DTV is imperative."

Digitally-originated programming and signal delivery are essential for the success of the format, CEA spokesmen emphasized. The organization soundly rejected the notion that consumers will buy DTV equipment and then wait and see what happens. "Consumers should not be expected to purchase digital receivers in anxious anticipation that value-added content will eventually become available, especially given the current dearth of high-quality, digitally-originated programming," Petricone stated.

He also stressed the importance of "free, non-subscription broadcast programming" and the necessity for program guides to differentiate digital content from traditional analog television. "We must not allow the cable gatekeepers to prevent consumers from enjoying DTV or using services that allow them to navigate among content choices or access interactive and advanced services," he added. "These options and services are the very future of television."