With the new age of digital television TV has found a new wasteland. With the transition for local channel from analog to digital there have been some new problems that have arisen over the past few months.
The reason for the switch in the fist place was to free up air frequencies for emergency services such as police, fire departments, and ambulances. Besides the initial airwaves to be used for emergencies, the leftover frequencies can be used for the switch is that some of their airwaves for wireless services, like broadband for example. With the big switchover local channels were allowed several digital channels which allows for multicasting. This means that one broadcaster can offer their programming on more than one channel. So if a local station had channel 6 they would then also own 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, and also 6.4 and this station can offer various programs on these channels simultaneously. Another advantage of the digital switch is that the picture and sound quality has been improved on those local channels. Long gone are the days of bunny ears which folks would have to play with to get a mostly clear picture. Now the local digital channels are the same as those clear channels found.
The problem with these new channels is the companies don’t know how to draw audiences and produce revenue with these channels. It has been compared to the recent real estate crisis in the middle of this recession we are in right now. As in the market is available but there are no buyers. Some have found some programs which are improving the situation but are no solutions. For example one local station is running a 24-hour local new channel and one is trying a 24-hour Spanish channel. The most successful of these channels was found in a tiny city near Mexico. With a simple mounted camera so audiences at home can watch the town-folk, surprisingly something about this combination works. It seems to just be more localized which some think those extra channels should focus most on. Commissioner Michael Copps thinks these digital channels should focus on local politics, religions, music, and cultural diversity.
I think it is important first of all for people to understand the reason for the whole digital conversion because I had no clue why this was happening all of a sudden. Knowing that it will help emergency services makes me feel better about the whole switch because in my house we still had two analog TV sets, so I actually was involved in the whole switch. Secondly I think it is important for people to know about the extra stations which many are making specific to local events and such. It is another way to be involved in the community and find out new things through media.
I think one way it impacts the industry is through advertising which the article talks about as well. Broadcasters need extra ads to support these extra stations. If the extra digital channels are more specified toward local event s it is a great place for the mom and pop shops and lots of local venues to air commercials since the target audience will be viewers from the area.
WEBSITES USED
http://www.dtv.gov/whatisdtv.html
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