Bruce A. Johnson

A 1981 graduate of the Boston University College of Communication, Bruce A. Johnson got his first job in broadcast television at WFTV, an ABC affiliate in Orlando, FL. While there, he rose through the ranks from teleprompter operator to videographer, editor, producer and director of many different types of programming. It was in the early 1980's that he bought his first computer - a Timex/Sinclair 1000 - a device he hated so much, he promptly exchanged it for an Atari 400. But the bug had bitten hard.

In 1987, Johnson joined Wisconsin Public Television in Madison as a videographer/editor, and still works there to the present day. His responsibilities have grown, however, and now include research and presentations on the issues surrounding the digital television transition, new consumer technology and the use of public television spectrum in homeland security. He freelances through his company Painted Post MultiMedia, and has written extensively for magazines including DV and Studio Monthly.
Friday, February 06, 2009

DTV Transition:  It Couldn’t Get Worse Than This!

Or Can It?

Hoo doggies, not even I could have predicted this one!  I have been preaching doom for the digital TV transition since 2001 (Hey DV.com!!  Wanna put your archives back online?  A grateful nation would thank you…) but although a delay in the February 17, 2009 deadline was a pretty easy call, I totally missed the coup de gras:

Now stations can turn their analog transmitters off whenever they want!  Great, so the lights are going to blink off one by one, with the public fairly clueless about who will and who won’t be on the air in analog.  Of course, stations have ample incentive to stop analog broadcasting, as their transmitters are voracious energy hogs (I hear $20,000 a month in electricity isn’t unusual) and in many cases are old, creaky and unreliable.

In my market - Madison WI - the ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates have all announced their intent to cease analog broadcasting on February 17th.  The Fox affiliate hasn’t said much about their plans, and Wisconsin Public Broadcasting (my day job) will stay on in analog until a yet-to-be-determined time.  I couldn’t write a better prescription for confusion if I tried.

And it keeps getting better - the bill that delays the switch contains no new money for the Federal coupon program, which could be the only justifiable reason for a delay - to pump a little helium into the sagging balloon that is the transition.  The coupons are gone, and yet there is now a waiting list. 

Anyone out there think that this will end well?

(2) Comments • Most recent comments by: Andrew Smith, DanConklin, • Permalink


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