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To: BillyG who wrote (24814)	11/4/1997 7:34:00 PM
From: John Rieman	Respond to of 50808

Congress made headlines last month by draging in broadcasters who were planning to do SDTV instead of HDTV. So what about PBS? They get federal money.................................... digitaltheater.com PBS NOW PLANNING SOME MULTICASTING <Picture> [ Back to the News \| Back HOME ] Electronic Media via Individual Inc. : WASHINGTON-Adding to the uncertainty over high-definition television, PBS last week confirmed that it is planning to use new digital frequencies to offer multiple channels of standard-definition programming during much of the day. Gary Poon, executive director of PBS's DTV strategic planning office, said in an interview that the noncommercial network is planning to broadcast some of its prime-time fare in HDTV format. But during the day, Mr. Poon said, PBS wants to broadcast four channels of lower-definition programming at the same time-offering viewers a sandwich of educational and how-to fare. Mr. Poon also said the amount of high-definition programming offered during evening hours would be determined by viewer demand. 'The goal is to do as much of the evening programming as possible in HD,'' Mr. Poon said. When ABC and Sinclair Broadcasting recently hinted that they wanted to use their digital frequencies to offer multiple channels, lawmakers accused them of reneging on the basic agreement under which they got the frequencies for free. During hearings last month, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., also made clear that they would retaliate for industry backsliding. But in the wake of PBS's statement, Ken Johnson, an aide to Rep. Tauzin, said a chief goal of the lawmaker had been to discourage broadcasters from reneging on HDTV altogether. 'Billy believes if broadcasters offer some HD, consumers will have an opportunity to see it, like it and want it,'' Mr. Johnson said. 'If they don't offer HDTV, there's going to be a knock-down, drag-out war in Congress.'' A congressional source said key lawmakers are also concerned because CBS- HDTV's biggest network booster-is quietly forming an advisory panel to explore using digital frequencies for multicasting. Sources said the panel is supposed to be headed by Mel Karmazin, chairman of the CBS Station Group. Mr. Karmazin, according to industry sources, has expressed a lot of skepticism about HDTV. Michael Jordan, chairman and CEO of Westinghouse, has been a longtime HDTV proponent. A CBS source last week said the two executives had been at odds over the new technology six months ago, but have moved closer together recently. 'Having started at different ends of the argument, in the last month or two they have pretty much met in the middle, with Mel much more open to HDTV possibilities and Mike more open to multicasting possibilities,'' the CBS source said. <<Electronic Media -- 10-27-97, p. 2>> [Copyright 1997, Crain Communications]