View Full Version : ABC-Owned Stations to Deliver Analog Feeds After DTV Transition


kspaz
04-14-08, 05:12 PM
ABC-Owned Stations to Deliver Analog Feeds After DTV Transition
Network to Offer Cable Systems Wireline Feed of Analog Signals for at Least One Year
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/14/2008

ABC stations will continue to air an analog signal after the transition to digital after all, but only for use by analog cable customers.

ABC said Monday that subject to agreements with the local cable operators involved, it would make a standard-definition, 4/3 aspect ratio analog feed of its 10 owned TV stations available to cable operators for at least one year after the transition to digital TV in February 2009.

Broadcasters by law must cut off analog broadcasts by Feb. 17, 2009, but the ABC feed will be wireline and available to cable operators only to feed to their cable-system headends and, via that route, to their analog customers.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6551380.html

Jim Shaffer
04-14-08, 05:21 PM
Why would they pay to lease a connection when the cable operators could just downconvert the OTA signal? Are they admitting that their digital coverage area sucks compared to the analog one?

homcom
04-14-08, 08:01 PM
Why would they pay to lease a connection when the cable operators could just downconvert the OTA signal? Are they admitting that their digital coverage area sucks compared to the analog one?

Many, if not all, already have wired connections to the main cable companies in their areas. It also provides redundancy to cable viewers in case something goes wrong with OTA.