The DTV Switch: Mostly a Smooth Move

Well, there is good news to report. The great DTV switch happened without much fanfare, or fallout. The technology publication Information Week reports in its online edition today that the great majority of television-watching Americans weren’t affected by the change to digital broadcasting. Why? Because they receive their signals from cable and satellite providers.
The FCC reports receiving about 300,000 calls on Friday about a third of them dealing with problems getting the converter box to work. Of course, that also means that two-thirds of the calls dealt with some other complaint. About six million people were not ready for the switch and were left without TV.
Before broadcasters start slapping themselves on the back for a job well done, however, perhaps it would be a good idea to go back and read Paul Farhi’s piece in Sunday’s The Washington Post. Farhi reminds us that there is still more to do. “TV stations and their broadcast network partners lobbied Congress to award them new channels free of charge. Then, they asked lawmakers for permission to use their second channels to create digital broadcasts, which could be used for all sorts of services. Asked last week for a list of the interactive services that newly digital TV stations will be providing in their communities, the National Association of Broadcaster said it couldn't name any.” In the grand scheme of things, says Farhi, TV stations are using their digital powers right now to simply broadcast more of the same thing they have been broadcasting all along, albeit with better sound and picture quality.
With all of the local furor recently over interruptions of TV shows to broadcast severe weather information, I can certainly envision a time, perhaps not too far away, when viewers could be sent to a secondary channel for continuing weather coverage. Stations could also put extended coverage of local breaking news events on that channel.
I know that broadcasters right now are sort of sitting back and catching their breath. The changeover has not been without its problems, just as any undertaking of this kind is. It is my hope, however, that catching our breath doesn’t develop into an extended period of foot-dragging. We have this new technology at our fingertips. The real question is: what will we do with it?
Those are my thoughts. What are yours?

Downing Bolls