Over 40 TV Stations Set To Begin Digital Programs
Tuesday October 6 2:34 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. broadcasting industry is ahead of schedule in rolling out digital technology, with more than 40 television stations set to begin digital programming next month, the National Association of Broadcasters said Tuesday.
The four major networks -- CBS Corp. (CBS - news), Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, General Electric Co's NBC, and News Corp.'s Fox -- had pledged to have at least 26 of their local affiliates broadcasting digital programming by Nov. 1. While three of those stations will not meet the deadline, another 18 stations will go digital ahead of schedule.
Digital broadcasting allows stations to send high-definition programs with high-fidelity sound, or to send as many as six different programs in the same space that carries only a single analog broadcast.
Few consumers currently have TV sets capable of receiving digital and high-definition shows, and the medium could grow slowly until the price of the sets falls from about $7,000 at present.
A variety of other hurdles, including difficulty finding spots for new broadcast antennas and lack of compatibility between new sets and cable boxes and VCRs, are also hampering digital's popularity.
Under the government's phase-in plan, stations broadcasting in digital will continue to broadcast analog programming for at least the next eight years.
William Kennard, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and a strong backer of digital TV, commended broadcasters for acting so quickly to offer digital programming.
''I welcome and applaud today's news,'' Kennard said.
ABC said it would air the movie ''101 Dalmatians'' on Nov. 1 as its first digital broadcast. CBS has said it would air a National Football League game in high-definition digital on Nov. 8.
Under the government's plan, affiliates of the networks in the 30 top markets are to offer digital broadcasts by November, 1999. All commercial stations are to offer digital by May 1, 2002, with public television stations following a year later.
All analog broadcasts are scheduled to end in 2006.
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