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Eric Glick
Susan Ness, the FCC's current commissioner, who has served the longest term, wants the cable industry to cooperate with other sectors of the communications market to make digital television a success.
Speaking at the Consumers Electronic Show recently, Ness said, "the consumer electronics industry cannot do it alone."
"Even greater cooperation among ... broadcasters, cable and DBS operators, programmers and service providers, Silicon Valley, consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers is necessary if you are to win the hearts and pocketbooks of consumers," Ness said.
Ness praised the DBS industry for offering high definition signals, saying the move helps promote HDTV throughout the U.S. She called on DBS operators to offer their service in Hawaii and Alaska, where it's currently unavailable.
As for cable, Ness said MSOs need to make their systems compatible with digital broadcasts, calling it "a critical component of a smooth transition to digital" since about two thirds of the U.S. "rely on cable to receive local stations."
"Consumers should not have to choose between their digital television sets and cable," Ness said. She also stressed that the first customers to buy digital sets "are likely to be among a cable operator's most valuable customers."
"These early adopters will demand access to DTV programming, including broadcast DTV signals," Ness said. "So it is in the best interests of cable operators to resolve rapidly the compatibility issues."
Ness said that cable operators shouldn't degrade a broadcasters digital signal. "Consumers should be able to receive broadcast signals as they are transmitted," she said. "And all of the features of a digital set should work, including new digital services such as program guides."
Separately, the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association announced that retailers have purchased more than 13,000 digital TV sets since last November, No data was available, on how many sets retailers have sold.
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