FCC Chairman Michael Powell's 1st Press Conf... (1 Viewer)

[Doug M]

And I am not encouraged.
From an Industry Standard article posted on Yahoo News
Damn It, I'm the FCC Chairman, Not a ...

By Aaron Pressman

On the slow transition TV broadcasters are going through to move from analog to digital technologies, Powell said the FCC should clarify the legal and regulatory environment, but added that primary responsibility rested with the industry and the marketplace. "The vast portion of the digital-TV transition and whether it succeeds or fails does not rest in the hands of the government," he said.

I believe that the blame for a failure to transition to a digital TV infrastructure would rest heavily on the government, and specifically the FCC. Of course, the content providers aren't helping matters with their recent initiatives. Failure, however, is not an option.
I am not encouraged by his laissez-faire attitude. It's part of the FCC's mission to develop, administer and regulate the technical infrastructure for efficient use of the publicly owned airwaves, in the interest of the public. With Powell's hands off FCC policy of "we just clarify the legal stuff", it'll be many more years before we see the Digital TV mandate translate to fruition.
I await more encouraging signs of progressive thought coming from the FCC.
Doug

 

[Randy Boecker]

Sounds like a wimpy position to me. I agree the FCC should take a predominant role in dictating (that's right, I said DICTATING) when the switchover should take place. If there's no hard and set date, then no one is going to really take it seriously. Why do so many people think HDTV is just a fad? It's the next logical step, for crying out loud!!
They thought color television was a fad
They thought FM radio was a fad
They thought CD's were a fad
They thought DVD's were a fad
They thought 8-track tapes were a fad (ok, so they were a fad)
It just chaps my hide that it seems that those who can effect the fastest and biggest change are the ones that won't take a stand on this issue. How about a forum-wide petition to Mr. Powell? At least he'd know there are those of us out there just chomping at the bit for this changeover to take place, and looking to him to make it happen.

 

[orestes]

Just blame it all in the Florida election results. Republicans are always in favor of less government whereas Democrats are always in favor of more government control. It would have been great to have a Democrat President just to push this technology further along. Now we all have to wait 4 more years to see if a Democratic President gets elected. BTW, I did not vote for Bush, but I don't leave in Florida.
Just my $0.02.
Sincerely,
orestes.

 

[Chris Lock]

I thought we didn't discuss politics here.

 

[David_Jr]

I don't think it would make a difference who's in the White House, after all, the Dems had it for the last 8 years and progress couldn't have been much slower!!!
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Dave

 

[Timmy]

No politics discussed on HTF!

"The vast portion of the digital-TV transition and whether it succeeds or fails does not rest in the hands of the government,"

This statement can mean many things..... one intepretation may be: "Even with full regulatory guidence in favor of HDTV, only the marketplace will deem it a success or a failure"
This early on, I don't think we will get any definitive response.
I also cringe with any federal gov't involvement in anything, but "national" items (like interstate commerce) must be overseen by the national government; and HTDV adoption is one of these.
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