Re: Question for Dave LaRonde

[Reggie Spires] "...there are some at a local Ministry here that are trying to push through a big upgrade budget on the Pastor... and they are tieing it to that event. "

Yeah, well, to put it gently, they're full of prunes.

The only thing mandatory in the 2/17/09 deadline is that all TV stations will have to broadcast only a digital signal, and cease broadcasting an analog signal. Many stations are already broadcasting digital in addition to analog.

The deadline has been imposed by Congress so that the Feds can reclaim the analog portion of the broadcast TV spectrum. The government stands to collect several billion dollars in license fees each year, and it's eager to get its mitts on that cash.

This deadline does NOT -- repeat, DOES NOT -- specify that stations will be obligated to broadcast a high-definition signal. It's simply intended to clear a substantial portion of spectrum for other uses.

However, since it would be silly to ignore High Definition, many stations are making plans to go all-HD concurrent with the deadline. But not ALL of them, because they don't HAVE to. This obviously means that there will be a great deal of confusion... as if there isn't already.

So if you want to deliver programming to a local TV station, you have to ASK THE STATION.

They may be perfectly willing to accept Standard-Definition programming. They may specify HD, but will accept an up-rezzed, center-punch SD image. They may specify all-HD, but that's unlikely. To confuse matters even more, different stations may specify different kinds of HD: depending on their network affiliation, they may want 720p or 1080i.

You won't know for certain unless you ASK, and I doubt that this group of people has even thought to do so. And for them to claim that this church absolutely must upgrade its equipment before the 2/17/09 deadline is sheer and utter nonsense. If they don't check with the local TV broadcasters first, they run the risk of throwing their money away.

And you can tell them I said so.

Dave LaRonde
Sr. Promotion Producer
KCRG-TV (ABC) Cedar Rapids, IA