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Digital TV Program Timeline

The following excerpts detail the programming timeline and other broadcaster obligations under the Digital Television (DTV) implementation schedule released by the FCC in April 1997. This info sheet is provided courtesy of Fedele & Associates.

These paragraphs have been culled from the original FCC docket and are numbered as they appear in the original. Information regarding the anticipated technical timeline for the Digital Television (DTV) implementation schedule is included in the DTV Technical Timeline page. The full version of the FCC docket is available under the FCC NPRM section of this web site.

DTV Simulcast Schedule

The following information was derived, in part, from the FCC 5th Report & Order

Analysis provided by Fedele & Associates - A Technical Advisory Group.
Year Percentage of Simulcast Simulcast Deadlines
650%April 3, 2003
775%April 3, 2004
8100%April 3, 2005

Note:

Excerpts from FCC Docket MM Docket No. 87-268 - 5th Report & Order

Adopted: April 3, 1997 Released: April 21, 1997

I. Introduction

1. Our decisions today further these goals. They ensure that broadcasters have more flexibility in their business. Broadcasters will be able to experiment with innovative offerings and different service packages as they continue to provide at least one free program service and meet their public-interest obligations. We choose to impose few restrictions on broadcasters and to allow them to make decisions that will further their ability to respond to the marketplace. We leave to broadcasters' business judgment such decisions as whether to provide high definition television or whether, initially, to simulcast the NTSC stream on DTV, and what and how many ancillary and supplementary services to provide. To aid the launch of digital services, we provide for a rapid construction of digital facilities by network-affiliated stations in the top markets, in order to expose a significant number of households, as early as possible, to the benefits of DTV. We require those most able to bear the risks of introducing digital television to proceed most quickly. Our decisions here will foster the swift development of DTV, which should enable us to meet our target of ending NTSC service by 2006. To permit careful monitoring of the development of digital television and an opportunity to reassess the decisions we make today, we intend to conduct a review of DTV every two years until the cessation of NTSC service.

D. Definition of Service - 1. Spectrum Use

2. The DTV Standard, adopted by the Commission in the Fourth Report and Order, permits broadcasters to offer a variety of services. It allows broadcasters to offer free television of higher resolution than analog technology. It allows the broadcast of at least one, and under some circumstances two, high definition television programs; and it allows "multicasting," the simultaneous transmission of three, four, five, or more digital programs. The Standard also allows for the broadcast of CD-quality audio signals. And it permits the rapid delivery of large amounts of data: an entire edition of the local newspaper in less than two seconds, sports information, computer software, telephone directories, stock market updates, interactive educational materials and, indeed, any information that can be translated into digital bits. In addition to allowing broadcasters to transmit video, voice, and data simultaneously, the DTV Standard allows broadcasters to do so dynamically, meaning that they can switch back and forth quickly and easily. For example, a broadcaster could transmit a news program consisting of four separate SDTV programs for local news, national news, weather and sports; while interrupting that programming with a single high definition television commercial with embedded data about the product; or transmit a motion picture in a high definition format, while simultaneously using the excess capacity for transmission of data unrelated to the movie.

3. We expect that the fundamental use of the 6 MHz DTV license will be for the provision of free over-the-air television service. In order to ease the transition from our current analog broadcasting system to a digital system, we will require broadcasters to provide on their digital channel the free over-the-air television service on which the public has come to rely. Specifically, broadcasters must provide a free digital video programming service the resolution of which is comparable to or better than that of today's service and aired during the same time periods that their analog channel is broadcasting.

4. We wish to preserve for viewers the public good of free television that is widely available today. At the same time, we recognize the benefit of permitting broadcasters the opportunity to develop additional revenue streams from innovative digital services. This will help broadcast television to remain a strong presence in the video programming market that will, in turn, help support a free programming service. Thus, we will allow broadcasters flexibility to respond to the demands of their audience by providing ancillary and supplementary services that do not derogate the mandated free, over-the-air program service. Ancillary and supplementary services could include, but are not limited to, subscription television programming, computer software distribution, data transmissions, teletext, interactive services, audio signals, and any other services that do not interfere with the required free service.

D. Definition of Service - 2. High Definition

5. Decision. Our decisions today, and our previous adoption of the DTV Standard, give broadcasters the opportunity to provide high definition television programming, but we decline to impose a requirement that broadcasters provide a minimum amount of such programming and, instead, leave this decision to the discretion of licensees. The DTV Standard will allow broadcasters to offer the public high definition television, as well as a broad variety of other innovative services. We believe that we should allow broadcasters the freedom to innovate and respond to the marketplace in developing the mix of services they will offer the public. In this regard, we endeavor to carry out the premises of the 1996 Act which, as noted above, seeks "[t]o promote competition and reduce regulation in order to secure lower prices and higher quality services for American telecommunications consumers and encourage the rapid deployment of new telecommunications technologies." There is no reason to involve the government in a decision that should properly be based on marketplace demand. The 1996 Act specifically affords the Commission discretion whether or not to require minimum high resolution television programming.

6. Our decisions to adopt the DTV Standard and to use 6 MHz channels permit broadcasters to provide high definition television in response to viewer demand. If we do not mandate a minimum amount of high resolution television, we anticipate that stations may take a variety of paths: some may transmit all or mostly high resolution television programming, others a smaller amount of high resolution television, and yet others may present no HDTV, only SDTV, or SDTV and other services. We do not know what consumers may demand and support. Since broadcasters have incentives to discover the preferences of consumers and adapt their service offerings accordingly, we believe it is prudent to leave the choice up to broadcasters so that they may respond to the demands of the marketplace. A requirement now could stifle innovation as it would rest on a priori assumptions as to what services viewers would prefer. Broadcasters can best stimulate consumers' interest in digital services if able to offer the most attractive programs, whatever form those may take, and it is by attracting consumers to digital, away from analog, that the spectrum can be freed for additional uses. Further, allowing broadcasters flexibility as to the services they provide will allow them to offer a mix of services that can promote increased consumer acceptance of digital television, which, in turn, will increase broadcasters' profits, which, in turn, will increase incentives to proceed faster with the transition.

E. Public Interest Obligations

7. Some argue that broadcasters' public interest obligations in the digital world should be clearly defined and commensurate with the new opportunities provided by the digital channel broadcasters are receiving. Others contend that our current public interest rules need not change simply because broadcasters will be using digital technology to provide the same broadcast service to the public. We are not resolving this debate today. Instead, at an appropriate time, we will issue a Notice to collect and consider all views. As we authorize digital service, however, broadcast licensees and the public are on notice that existing public interest requirements continue to apply to all broadcast licensees. Broadcasters and the public are also on notice that the Commission may adopt new public interest rules for digital television. Thus as to the public interest, our action today forecloses nothing from our consideration.

F. Transition - 1. Simulcast

54. Decision. We decline to adopt a simulcast requirement for the early years of the transition. In order to help reclaim spectrum at the end of the transition period, however, we adopt by the sixth year from the date of adoption of this Report and Order a requirement of 50% simulcasting of the video programming of the analog channel on the DTV channel; by the seventh year, a 75% simulcasting requirement; by the eighth year, a 100% simulcasting requirement, until the analog channel is terminated and that spectrum returned.

56. While we believe that a simulcast requirement is not warranted during the early years of the transition, there are benefits to a simulcast requirement near the end of the transition period. Such a requirement will help ensure that consumers will enjoy continuity of free over-the-air program service when we reclaim the analog spectrum at the conclusion of the transition period. It may be difficult to terminate analog broadcast service if broadcasters show programs on their analog channels but not on their digital channels. We believe that it will be easier to terminate analog services and reclaim the spectrum at the end of the transition if most broadcast households are capable of receiving DTV signals and these households do not suffer the loss of a current program service only offered on analog channels. Thus, we will require a phased-in simulcasting requirement as follows: By the sixth year from the date of adoption of this Report and Order, we adopt a 50% simulcasting requirement; by the seventh year, we adopt a 75% simulcasting requirement; by the eighth year, we adopt a 100% simulcasting requirement which will continue until the analog channel is terminated and the analog spectrum returned. We recognize that we will need to define clearly "simulcasting" in the context of DTV and will do so as part of our two-year reviews or other appropriate proceeding.

J. Must-Carry and Retransmission Consent

106. On March 31, 1997, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the must-carry provisions contained in the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, in Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. v. FCC ("Turner II"). In upholding the constitutionality of must-carry, the Court emphasized that preserving the benefits of free, over-the-air broadcast television and promoting the widespread dissemination of information from a multiplicity of sources were important governmental interests. The Turner II case did not expressly address the issue of must-carry of digital television signals. In order to obtain a full and updated record on the applicability of the must-carry and retransmission consent provisions in the digital context, particularly in light of the Turner II decision, we intend to issue a Notice to seek additional comments on these issues.


E-Mail address: jfedele@fedele.com