The fines for keeping a station's analog transmitter going beyond the DTV transition date are far less than the ad revenue a station can make on that analog transmitter, reaching homes that competitor stations in the market that are digital-only can't deliver to because Joe Public procrastinated and still has analog-only television sets...
Broadcast stations live and die by advertisers - the cost of operating a station, coupled with the enormous expense of network programming, is ginormous... I can honestly say I've seen profit/loss projections using the "keep analog on, pay fines later" model from one of our local broadcasters... The point of holding off until the economy turns around, let alone having a lender finance the auction winner's purchase, is both rational and, unfortunately, likely. 73s, AJ, K6LOR On Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 8:48 PM, TGundo 2003 <tgundo2...@yahoo.com> wrote: > My statement was mis-worded a bit. I apologize for that Chuck, was busy > at the office...rush rush & type. Didn't proof read that one well. > > I agree it will cost a lot to keep two on the air and they will not be > happy about it... But who will want the bad PR of shutting down analog first > and not caring about the lower class who cannot afford new tv's or converter > boxes??? You know the press & local politicians would have a field day with > that. > > Don't get me wrong, I'm still all for shutting down the analogs. Let's turn > the page. If I had to guess, If it came down to it I could see Fox shutting > it down first. > > And don't put it past Congress to mandate they keep both on the air. I'm > here in Illinois & have yet to be suprised what Government will do (Look at > our Governer... Though it is fun to watch, you couldn't make this stuff up. > Sad, But fun.) > > Tom > W9SRV > > --- On Fri, 1/9/09, Chuck Kelsey > <wb2...@roadrunner.com<wb2edv%40roadrunner.com>> > wrote: > > > From: Chuck Kelsey <wb2...@roadrunner.com <wb2edv%40roadrunner.com>> > > Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box issues- You > can stop the thread now > > > To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com<Repeater-Builder%40yahoogroups.com> > > Date: Friday, January 9, 2009, 6:20 PM > > > The certainty of pushing it back is high? Your post is a bit > > contradictory. > > > > Unless Congress mandates that broadcasters keep both analog > > and digital > > active, my money is going to be on analogs shutting down > > voluntarily as a > > cost saving measure. It costs a lot of money to keep a full > > power TV > > transmitter running. > > > > They can auction whenever they want. > > > > Chuck > > WB2EDV > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "TGundo 2003" <tgundo2...@yahoo.com <tgundo2003%40yahoo.com>> > > To: <Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com<Repeater-Builder%40yahoogroups.com> > > > > Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 2:49 PM > > Subject: [Repeater-Builder] OT- Digital TV converter box > > issues- You can > > stop the thread now > > > > > > > Insider info- Just got done talking with someone with > > some intresting > > > inside info... > > > > > > > > > The certainty that the DTV cutoff date is HIGH (I > > would put your money on > > > it). And, I hear the word on the street is they are > > going to push it back > > > 3 years.... > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > >
