President’s Memo

Posted on November 26, 2012 in ATSC News

The devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy was enormous.  For those of you that were seriously affected by the storm, I hope that you and your families are recovering from this awful event.

Whenever there is a disaster, be it natural or manmade, robust communications systems are essential.  No single technology can fulfill all the needs of our government, industries and citizens, but one thing is clear; terrestrial digital broadcasting is a key component of our communications infrastructure.  Several articles have been written regarding the importance of local broadcast stations during emergencies and there are anecdotes about people rediscovering broadcast television in these situations.  Here’s one from my family.

My nephew’s house on Long Island did not have power for several days so he, his wife and daughter decided to stay at my brother’s house where power had been restored. Cooped up in the house, the family wanted to watch TV and catch up on the news.  Unfortunately, the cable TV service was out due to the storm.  My nephew insisted he could get the television working and went to the local CVS.  He asked one of the young employees where he could find the “rabbit ears” TV antennas.  The young man had no idea what he was talking about.  My nephew searched the store and found one indoor antenna left on the rack.  He bought the antenna, took it home, hooked it up and to everyone’s surprise they were able to receive 20 channels.

Terrestrial digital broadcast television is unparalleled in its ability to provide wireless delivery of popular and timely content and our continuing efforts to advance the technology will enable the industry to offer enhanced services to our communities.

Mark Richer

Posted in ATSC News