Tory Insider rumour: "Canadian Analog OTA Cutoff in 2011"

[omneon]

Roger, at this point in Canada the unofficial plan is to let the LPTV go dark and the rural areas can buy BEV, cruel as it may be. Many of theses services are rebroads of the high power systems and will not be upgraded. BEV and SC come out the winners, in most cases many of the rural viewers are already satellite customers.

[roger1818]

I am curious what these new gadgets will be. I figured that much of the bandwidth would be sold to cellular providers so that they can provide faster data access in large cities where bandwidth is extremely tight. With the exception of Toronto (and maybe Montreal and Vancouver), Canadian cities don't have the population density to stress the bandwidth the way large American cities do.

Regardless of whom the bandwidth is sold to, we are probably many years away from seeing the benefits. Once the bandwidth is sold, standard protocols for using the bandwidth need to be developed, approved and implemented.

As for the money gained from selling the bandwidth, Canada isn't likely to see the windfall that the Americans will see as we will have to follow the American lead or else face the consequences of incompatible systems, which would be considered to be bad for trade. The only way around this would be if the Canadian and American governments were to join forces and sell the bandwidth for both countries in one auction and split the proceeds accordingly. It is possible that this is Harper's motivation.

[roger1818]

omneon, Where did you hear that? I had heard that as being a proposal by various stakeholders, but had never heard such a thing (official or unofficial) from the CRTC.

[stampeder]

I'm going to step in here at this point and mention that almost everything rumoured in this thread has already been mentioned in previous threads in the OTA Forum and in the various CRTC threads on this site except for this latest rumour that Conservative Party insiders are discussing a hard analogue OTA cutoff date. I'm seeing posts made in this thread that rehash what we already are very aware of.

If anyone wishes to post further information, facts, or innuendo in this thread it is important that you know where we already stand on the topic of OTA in Canada. We've been discussing this for years here, after all. This is a very serious issue for those of us who have intervened in CRTC proceedings to push for an analogue OTA cutoff date.

It is also important that if you add information to this thread about the hard cutoff date for analogue OTA transmissions you cite your sources or at the very least make sure that you qualify what you are saying by giving us an idea of by which authority or source you have that info. If identifying such a source is not an option, say so plainly.

So, basically, no claims or rumours without some sort of realistic basis identified. Any new info needs to be treated equally seriously or must be clearly labeled as speculation.

[stampeder]

Originally Posted by omneon

at this point in Canada the unofficial plan is to let the LPTV go dark and the rural areas can buy BEV, cruel as it may be.

Originally Posted by roger1818

omneon, Where did you hear that?

Roger, what he mentioned is very close to the CBC's analogue-to-digital OTA cutover plan submission to the CRTC.

If it is being seriously considered I sure would like to know, and by whom.

[omneon]

http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/submi...ENG-Sept28.pdf

Read what you want into this, and remember, the CBC is spending your tax dollars, whatr do you think the private broadcasters will decide to do?

[roger1818]

omneon, Just because the CBC wants to use DTH outside of major centers doesn't mean that is Canada's "unofficial plan." The CBC is a crown corporation, which means it operates at an arms length from the government. This is a proposal and the CRTC will make the final decision and we can only guess what that decision will be.

For all we know, the CRTC might decide to scrap DTV OTA all together. Alternately, they might mandate all transmitters convert to DTV by 2011. I personally think they will do something between those extremes, but anything is possible.

[stampeder]

That CBC document and topic are already discussed in this thread: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=43537 If anyone hears anything from inside the Tory party or elsewhere about future analogue OTA cutoff please let us know what you've heard.

[omneon]

LOL, As we all know the CRTC doesn't decide anything by itself, let alone something like this.

The final decisions, will be made by the broadcasters, and presented to the CRTC , and as always we will be lucky to hear anything before the technology is obsolete.
The point I was trying to make is, there is more of the country besides the urban areas that thios OTA cutoff affects. As one can see from the CBC proposal, going from over 600 to under 100 transmitters, that is a large area of canada that will go without basic service as we know now.

I do not think that a private broadcaster, with much shallower pockets, will decide to convert all the LPTV transmitters to DTV, as such satellite suppliers will pick up the new customers.

[Tom.F.1]

Historcally, crtc has a lag behind the US. why would anyone doubt that they wouldn't play "follow the leader" like they always do?

The only times Canada tried to get a jump on the US was converting to Metric and DAB radio. Canada was trying to keep up with th rest of the world, well intentioned, but still misbegotten.

[videobruce]

The only times Canada tried to get a jump on the US was converting to Metric

Too bad the US can't follow.
With pressure from the Toronto market and the TV manufactures, I'm sure it will come much to the probable opposition of the broadcast industry because of cost. But, that could work the other way, since broadcast is feeling the pressure from satellite and HD capability is a real plus.

[stampeder]

A CRTC decision on the mandatory cutover of analogue OTA to digital has been made. This thread is closed and I direct you to the following post-announcement thread:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=63969