Broadcasters Warn Of DTV Signal Corruption
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/20/2007 3:51:00 PM
The National Association of Broadcasters and Association For Maximum Service Television have sent letters to every member of Congress warning of the "corrupting" consequences of allowing portable unlicensed devices to operate in the broadcast band.
Broadcasters are squaring off against computer companies, who want the FCC to allow devices like video game controllers and PDA's to share the DTV spectrum, arguing they won't cause interference. "We should not corrupt one of our natoin's most valuable assets," said the associations.
The FCC has expressed a preference for allowing unlicensed devices to share the band, some of which broadcasters do not oppose, but has yet to decide whether to allow mobile devices, which broadcasters say could stop the DTV transition in its tracks.
In their letter, the NAB and MSTV argue that such interference could disenfranchise the older, minority and lower-income populations that rely on an over-the-air signal.
"Because of significant interference concerns with consumers' new digital television sets, on behalf of the television station membership of our joint organizations, we are writing to ask that you oppose opening the broadcast spectrum to portable unlicensed devices, such as wireless laptops, PDAs and remote-controlled devices." said the letter.
