[EAS] Cable TV Problems

[Tom Spencer]

I got curious, so I went back and looked at my old Blonder-Tongue 
catalogs and manuals.  Once upon a time, head-end modulators had a point 
where a second external video and audio source could be connected, with 
switching via contact closure.  Channel converters did not (unless 
special order) have any way to substitute a second source (at IF), so 
there was no problem with not interrupting OTA channels vs sat or local 
origination channels.  (Some modulators, of course, did have a break in 
the video at IF in order to insert scramblers for pay channels, but the 
audio was usually unaffected.)

Of course, in today's all-digital environment, everything is getting 
transcoded, so the old switch to secondary audio and video won't work.....

Sigh.  Just another Analog Rules! moment

Richard Rudman wrote:
> Hi, Jim:
>
> The process for on-air stations to ask a cable company to not interrupt their on air channel has been in place for years.
>
> As I and some others told the FCC before this process went into effect, it is set up backwards.
>
> The default should be that cable systems should not interrupt on air channels.

-- 
Tom Spencer