07-25-1988 - Agenda Packet City Council - regular meeting

Home Browse Search

Big Three Nets' Chiefs Want Spectrum for HDTV my lard' Jan" WASHINGTON — The heads or the Big Three broud- nel networks, in testimony Is" week before the House lelecnmmunicalione subcom- millee, agreed that spectrum should be rrscr .d 10 make sore, lor.l eunions an lek. ad- vantage of enhanced or high. definition television when it becomes available. The network chiefs can - cured that the aurvival oI free television is at slake if compel. ing media, including able television, videnaaselta re- cordem and direct -broadcast satellite, are able to offer HDTV to American con- samers long before brad- atlem. Thry pointed out that since the submmmitter's laal herr- ing on the issue in October 1987, various group. have mule pro cox on research and development, but the ex- mutives cmninned no hasty de- ,�iaionn ahsnld hr madr shunt reaching a single transmission standard. Robert Wright, National Broadcasting Ca. Inc. presi- dent and chief executive or - lice,, mid he wonted to make sum that "an -able distribu- lion will not be. excluded from participating lin HDTVI." If such a scenario develops, IIDTV may become a "rich man'. television," said Laurence Tisch, CBS Inc. president and chief executive officer. lie added, "1 don't think duet makes sense for America." Concerned about the com- patibility isaue, Thomas Murphy, Capital Ciliee/ABC Inc. cheimun and chief ex- ecutive P Neer, mid, "It's absolutely vital that whatever advanced system roman down, 140 million TV is arcs t ob- solete." Cumpetibility is the first of loco public -polity goals NBC has identified for achieving with advanced television, Mr. Wright mid. The other three arc: adopt- ing a single &MHz channel standard to csum the last dis- ruption and facilitate broad - matters' introduction of en- hanced TV; government deci- sions based on "reasonably ac- curate forecasts of consumer behavior" and not bused solely on engineering aalysm of in- crenurmal differenm in pic- toter quality; and emxuaging industry and goverrmenl to form a consensus behind a uni- form standard that would he applicable to dl electronic media. CBS also is in favor of a single HDTV standard, Mr. Tisch mid. Mr. Wright also lobbied support for the NBC and RCA-initisled David Ssraff Research Center'. Advanced Compatible Televi.inn rya- tem. He pointed out that if another other system is pro- posed that comes even closer to meeting the nelwork's criteria, "We would be perfectly happy to see that system become the standard." Mr. Murphy pointed out that ABC recently made a $W,000 grant to the Sarnoff Crow to help develop its ACTV, whose picture, accord- ing to hU. Tisch, "b. very competitive with the HDTV of Philips and the Japanese." At a second panel, Richard Roberts, TeleCable Corp. president and chief executive officer, mid, "1 believe it is fair to say that we arc no closer to specifically determining how HDTV might be, transmitted and displayed in the home than we went last October." But Mr. Roberts, who is chairman of the National Cable Tclevi.ion Amrrcistia'. HDTV committee, added that the lack of specific solutions is underem.d.ble since aloe iw sm arc complex and the number of HDTV - tione has tripled. Joseph Collin., American Television Of Cmnmuniations Corp. chairman and chief ex- erutire officer, said that "ATC believes that each medium should be able to deliver HDTV in a way that u optimal for that medium." Stanley Ilubb.rd, Hubbard Broadcasting Inc. chairmen and chief esecutive offi,,. ad- vocated DBS delivery of HDTV. Joel Ch...... Pat -News- week Stations Inc. chairman, i echoing the Big Three heeds' comment, emphasised the im- pananee :d the FCC saving adeq.su apeelrum to Preserve Ire. television. ❑