2681...Michael Geist On TV

Another cut and paste number; we are not, as he indicates, following the American lead on this.

I realize that we have a pretty serious hardon/animus versus the United States but when they do something right, like they did on this file, it would be instructive to follow it, no?

Digital TV transition could lead to an analog divide
Toronto Star
Mon Jul 26 2010
Page: B2
Section: Business
Byline: Michael Geist

In just over one year, Canada is scheduled to complete the digital television transition as stations switch from analog to digital broadcasts. While cable and satellite subscribers will not notice the change, over a million Canadians who rely on over-the-air signals will be affected.

Despite the experience in other countries that left consumers without digital converter boxes staring at blank screens, the Canadian government seems content to leave the switch to the private sector, implausibly claiming "industry-led solutions will ensure a smooth transition for consumers."

The basic notion of the transition is fairly straightforward. For decades, Canadian broadcasters have used spectrum to transmit over-the-air analog broadcast signals.

Before the widespread use of cable and satellite, many Canadians used antennae - "rabbit ears"- to access those broadcast signals.

On Aug. 31, 2011, Canadian broadcasters will switch from analog to digital broadcasts. The shift to digital brings several advantages including better image and sound quality as well as more efficient use of spectrum that will open the door to new telecom services. It also requires those relying on over-the-air signals to obtain a digital converter box to convert the digital signal back to analog.

Contrary to popular belief, many Canadians still rely on over-the-air signals. In its latest update on the transition, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission estimated that up to 857,000 households in larger markets do not subscribe to either cable or satellite.

Tens of thousands of rural households also depend upon over-the-air signals.

The CRTC has opened the door to a satellite alternative for rural communities, but households that rely on over-the-air signals in larger markets will need a digital converter box in order to continue to watch programs on their existing televisions.

In the United States, the government subsidized the cost of the transition, establishing a coupon program that ultimately cost more than $1 billion and forced a six-month delay of the transition when politicians feared too many consumers were not ready.

Unlike the U.S., Canada will not have a subsidy program. While the additional costs could affect lower- income Canadians, who are also more likely to rely on the over-the-air signals rather than cable or satellite services, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore has firmly rejected a similar approach.

A successful transition also depends upon educating Canadians about the changes. For example, the United Kingdom has established Digital UK, an independent, not-for-profit organization, to lead its process. The organization is funded by the country's private broadcasters and was established at the request of the government. It maintains a comprehensive website and has launched a nationwide advertising campaign.

In Canada, by contrast, the issue has attracted virtually no public attention other than the occasional CRTC release (chair Konrad von Finckenstein has been sounding the alarm bells on the digital transition for months). Moore has told Canada's broadcasters that Canadians had "fair notice" about the transition and that the broadcasters should be prepared to complete the switch on schedule, emphasizing the transition "must remain on track."

But most Canadian broadcasters see little value in investing in a public education campaign without government support, particularly since they are already spending millions on digital transmitters. In fact, the mandatory deadlines for the transition were established only after it became apparent the broadcasters would not make the switch voluntarily.

The CRTC has tried to push the issue onto the public agenda but has thus far faced government opposition and broadcaster indifference. As a result, when Canada's broadcasters flip the switch next summer, hundreds of thousands of Canadians may find themselves on the wrong side of a new digital divide.

Michael Geist holds the Canada research chair in Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa faculty of law. He can reached by email at www.michaelgeist.ca.

Sometimes, this time, the solution is easy.

This is a file that shows, in the same way that Preston Manning's thoughts on Ottawa and the census crisis do, the disconnect between the chattering classes cocktailing and the hoi polloi.

WFDS