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DTV transition goal: no viewer should be left behind, Donovan says

Apr 11, 2007 3:41 PM

Coordination will be critical to completing a smooth DTV transition, said Association for Maximum Service Television president David Donovan.

The clock continues to tick until zero hour, Feb. 17, 2009, when broadcasters must cease their over-the-air analog service and flip on full power DTV service.

With about 667 days to go before the transition to digital television broadcasting is complete, David Donovan, president of the Association for Maximum Service Television has a simple message: Get busy, Feb. 17, 2009, will be here before you know it.

Last month, Donovan hosted a webcast to bring into context the size of the task facing broadcasters and what must be done so no over-the-air TV viewer gets left behind.

HD Technology Update: You recently hosted a webcast to discuss issues that must be addressed before the DTV transition can be completed successfully. Could you please discuss how important coordinating the timing of analog shutoff and commencement of full power DTV transmission is to preventing interference? Please give examples.

David Donovan: I believe coordination will be critical to completing a smooth DTV transition. First, with approximately 600 stations moving channels, it will be important for stations to talk with each other. In many instances, a station will not be able to commence digital operations on its final channel until another station in the market moves. Those stations must have a conversation.

Second, we must coordinate with both satellite and cable systems. For example, will the cable headends install the necessary equipment to receive your signal on its new, final DTV channel? The last thing we want is to have to wait weeks or months while new equipment is ordered for a cable headend or satellite uplink. Stations need to engage in discussions.

Finally, it will be helpful for stations in the same market to coordinate scheduling. For example, if several stations are using the same tower company, it may make sense for them to get together to have the tower company do the work for the entire market at the same time.

HDTU: Would it be ideal if every full powered station switched off their analog operations at the same time and came back up on their digital channels simultaneously? Why?

DD: In a perfect world, this will happen on Feb. 17, 2009, at 11:59 p.m. If everyone moved, then there would be no interference issues, consumers would have new DTV sets and digital-to-analog converter boxes, and consumers would be ready. From a technical standpoint, there is one problem with some stations moving to their final DTV channel early. Such moves may cause interference to surrounding stations that have not moved to their final DTV channel. There is a domino effect that must be considered.

HDTU: You conducted an informal survey of MSTV members and engineers and extrapolated from your findings the number of antennas, transmitters, transmission line, tower rigging projects, etc., that must be completed between now and February 2009. Could you describe those findings and comment in general on the scope of the work that remains before the transition can occur?

DD: This was a very informal survey that was designed to give us some idea as to what needs to be done between now and the end of the DTV transition. We noted that 65 percent of stations plan to remain on their current DTV channels. Nearly 35 percent of the industry — approximately 600 stations — will be moving their DTV facilities to a new channel on Feb. 17, 2009. Such moves will require coordination among stations. Such moves, however, often require additional equipment, such as a new transmitter or antenna. Looking at the overall numbers, it appears that a significant number of television stations plan to modify their DTV facilities before February 2009.

Again, the equipment demand part of the survey was merely an extrapolation. It was by no means a scientific survey of the industry. Nonetheless, it highlighted the need for all TV stations to shift into high gear. Because of interference issues, it is possible that a relatively small number of stations could create interference problems even though 99.9 percent of the industry has worked hard to meet the deadline. We want to make sure there are no problems and that the transition is seamless.

HDTU: You also matched up that estimated RF equipment and services demand with known RF supply capability. How does supply and demand match up?

DD: Once again, this is merely an extrapolation, not a scientific survey. It is no secret, however, that there are a handful of companies that can do broadcast towers, especially tall towers. The same is true for transmitter and antenna suppliers. When you look at the potential demand and supply picture, one thing becomes clear: Do not wait until 2008 to order equipment or arrange for tower work.

HDTU: Could you describe the MSTV DTV Rubber Meets the Road tour you’ve kicked off? What’s the goal of the tour?

DD: Working with the state associations, the goal is to reach out to all TV stations across the country, both commercial and non-commercial. There are a number of stations that do not get to Washington or the NAB convention. Our goal is to make sure they are informed about the technical side of the transition and what needs to be done to meet the Feb. 17, 2009, deadline. Also, it gives stations, especially engineers, the opportunity to begin the coordination process. This is especially important where stations will be changing channels. Finally, we are advising stations to coordinate with cable and satellite systems. We want to make sure these systems are ready when we make the change.