March 25, 2008


The digital TV era brings opportunities that few Canadians
are aware of. They know about high definition TVs with wide
screens and ear-popping sound. That's great for Hollywood
blockbusters but it's not what average viewers want from
local TV.

Canadians want television which is relevant to them. Just
ask the thousands of Kamloopsians who lost over-the-air CBC
programs two years ago. Just ask parents who want fewer
choices of quality programming.  Ask seniors who
can't afford to pay for cable or satellite.

Thankfully, digital TV offers more than home entertainment
theaters.  It offers a practical solution to small TV
markets like Kamloops.

The timing of a digital solution for Kamloops couldn't be
better. It comes at a time when the world is converting to
digital TV. And many of Canada's aging transmitters need
replacing, regardless of the technology.

But broadcasters need help if free TV is to survive.
Transmitters are expensive. The manager of CFJC TV, Rick
Arnish, wonders: "Why, in this new world of satellite and
cable distribution, why do we have to put a digital
transmitter on Mount Dufferin, for example? It's a major
cost to do that."

It doesn't make sense to build a transmitter that services a
small number of viewers. It's the same conclusion that CBC
TV came to when CFJC stopped carrying their programming two
years ago. Rather than building a new transmitter, Kamloops
now has the dubious distinction of being the only place in
Canada without over-the-air CBC TV.

It doesn't make sense to build one new transmitter to carry
one station but it does make sense to built one transmitter
that carries several stations. That's what digital TV has
to offer through something called multiplexing.

Digital multiplexing allows for the broadcast of 6 channels
over one antenna in the space of one analogue signal. It's
a more efficient system.

Transmitter replacement could be economical if a number of
broadcasters shared the cost. The more partners, the
better. For example, the Kamloops Indian Band might want to
receive the APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network).
The provincial government might want to add the Knowledge
Network. Francophones and French language students could
benefit from Radio-Canada's programming. The City of
Kamloops might want to see a sports channel added that
promotes fitness and the Tournament Capital Canada. All of
these could share one transmitter along with CBC and CFJC.

When the local lobby group Save Our CBC Kamloops (SOCK)
first dreamed up this idea a year ago its feasibility was in
doubt. It's more credible now that the Canadian Media Guild
has thrown their support behind it. The guild, which
represents workers in the broadcasting industry, supports
free TV. They realize that over-the-air broadcasters are
threatened by the digital imperative.

Karen Wirsig, Communications Coordinator for the guild, told
SOCK members that CMG is interested in using Kamloops as a
pilot. "We are looking into hiring a consultant who could
come up with a credible proposal for multiplexing
(transmitting 6 channels on a single digital transmitter)."

Implementation of the pilot study for Kamloops would
coincide with the conversion of all transmitters in Canada
to digital that is supposed to happen by August 31, 2011.
All over-the-air viewers with old TVs will need to purchase
converters for the new signals.

The difference is that Kamloops' converters in would not
only decode digital signals, they would also unscramble the
6 channels.

Canada will be one of the last industrial countries in the
world to convert, so by then the price of converters and
transmitters will have dropped. And hopefully by then,
Canada's federal government will take a leadership role in
the conversion instead of ducking responsibility by
pretending that the marketplace should determine the pace of
conversion.

The British and U.S. governments have demonstrated how the
digital conversion should take place by first setting a firm
date for the transition and then by financially assisting
citizens with the purchase of converters. Such assistance
is necessary not only for the benefit of TV viewers but for
the whole industry in general - - if viewers can't watch
commercials, revenues for broadcasters will decrease.

A multiplexed cluster of channels offers families an
affordable choice to cable and satellite TV. Not everyone
wants, or can afford, hundreds of channels.

This pilot plan could place Kamloops on the national map as
an innovator instead of the place CBC TV forgot.

David Charbonneau is the owner of Trio Technical.
He can be reached at dcharbonneau13@shaw.ca

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