CABLE COMPATIBILITY A MAJOR IMPEDIMENT IN DTV TRANSITION
House Commerce Committee leaders held their 2nd go-round with industry leaders involved in digital transition -- along with FCC Chmn. Powell -- and several participants agreed afterward that cable compatibility and copyright issues were major problems delaying transition. As compared with Oct. meeting that went nowhere, we're told, “this time [Congress members] listened and got more information about what the problems are” and how they can be solved, participant said.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
Congress members at meeting made it clear that they weren’t enthusiastic about prospect of passing new legislation -- and made it even clearer that if groups hadn’t reached agreements by early spring, legislation might be necessary, we're told. Powell, who was accompanied by Rick Chessen, head of FCC DTV Task Force, reportedly was noncommital when asked what, if any, new powers Commission needed to help bring parties together. On cable compatibility, Powell complained that he was unable to use cable-connected VCR to record off DVD.
“Set manufacturers, cable guys, broadcasters and copyright owners all want to protect their turf, and that makes it very hard to get any kind of agreement on many remaining issues,” we were told. Representing Commerce Committee at meeting were Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.), ranking minority member Dingell (D-Mich.), Telecom Chmn. Upton (R- Mich.), ranking minority member Markey (D-Mass.), Rep. Stearns (R-Fla.). Participating from private sector were attorneys and representatives from ALTV, CEA, Intel, MPAA, MSTV, NAB, NCTA, Viacom.