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HDTV is one of the most prominent information technologies emerging as part of our nation's information super-highway. By the year 2006, analog broadcasting will end and go to "all digital." In 2003, all television stations begin DTV service. The challenge for the government is to create a policy that encourages broadcast networks to convert to a digital signal. In September of 1998, under the control of President Clinton, the Advisory Committee on Public Interest of DTV Broadcasters was set up. The committee will study and recommend interest responsibilities that should assist broadcasters in their launch of DTV. The President selected 22 members from the broadcasting industry, public interest community, computer industry, academia, and labor community. The government will be able to provide their insite on the technological development of HDTV.
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The emergence of new technology has been stimulated by a two part Federal Communication Commission (FCC) policy to promote HDTV. The first part was to hold open competition in which the FCC would select the technical standard from the competing entries. The second part of the FCC policy was to set aside part of the broadcast spectrum for HDTV. Under this policy each broadcast station would be loaned a transition at no cost.
What is The Grand Alliance and its role in promoting HDTV?
The FCC competition began with 23 separate proposals for an HDTV standard. The competition was one by the creation of The Grand Alliance. The Grand Alliance is a group of organizations that promote HDTV. The Grand Alliance's winning proposal was based on a digital standard that was far more superior to the Japanese analog standard. The Grand Alliance standard includes realistic high-resolution pictures and quality sound. It also provides the capability for transmitting large data files, paging messages, and e-mails.
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Why has the government intervened in the development of HDTV? The government decided to intervene in the emerging HDTV because of the market failures that were upon American production of an HDTV network. These imperfections included high-fixed costs and external economics. The government's interest in regulating the spectrum band is to provide order in a broadcast band. The government set aside bands for HDTV to encourage production in the U.S. The digital standard will allow broadcasters to transmit other services. In the future, the government policy makers must find a way to effectively manage the convergence of multiple separate information networks. |