U.S. Broadcasters Expect to Meet Milestone for Digital Over-the-Air Transmission; Plan to Expand HDTV and Other Services
February 21 2008 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
MELBOURNE, Fla., Feb. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- One year before
the nationwide mandatory sign-off of analog television
transmission, scheduled for February 17, 2009, U.S. broadcasters
said they expect to meet this major milestone as part of their
ongoing transition to the adoption of digital TV (DTV). The
findings resulted from a survey released by Harris Corporation
(NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information
technology company. In addition to meeting the deadline to convert
over-the-air transmission from analog to digital, the survey showed
that most broadcasters plan to upgrade their facilities to provide
consumers with local programming and news that originates in high
definition (HD), while also providing local TV content via the
Internet and mobile devices, including cell phones, PDAs and laptop
computers. "The survey shows that U.S. broadcasters are fully
embracing the conversion to digital and high-definition TV (HDTV)
and the additional revenue opportunities it will provide," said Tim
Thorsteinson, president of Harris Broadcast Communications. "The
transition to digital equipment and supporting software systems is
not only allowing broadcasters to offer expanded services, but also
to create a seamless workflow and reduce costs." The survey showed:
-- 66 percent of broadcasters plan to provide consumers with more
programming in HD, with its significantly superior picture and
sound quality; -- 55 percent said they will use the additional
channels resulting from DTV's superior spectrum efficiency to
multicast more local news, sports, weather, traffic and other
community interest programs; -- 50 percent expect to broadcast live
programming over the Internet and derive additional revenue from
their station's Web site; and -- 28 percent of broadcasters expect
to provide programming over mobile handheld devices including
cellular phones, PDAs and laptop computers. Harris Broadcast
Communications provides products, systems, and services that
deliver interoperable workflow solutions that span the entire
broadcast delivery chain. The Harris ONE approach brings together
highly integrated products that are ideal for customers upgrading
media operations to digital and high-definition services and for
emerging media business models such as mobile TV and IPTV. Harris
will be demonstrating how broadcasters can make the move to
becoming multiservice providers for their markets in April at the
2008 National Association of Broadcasters conference. About the DTV
Transition Television programming has been transmitted over the air
using analog signals since it was first commercially launched in
1947. The digital TV format was introduced in 1996 to increase the
signal efficiency and provide enhanced capabilities, such as HDTV,
which are impossible using analog technology. The U.S. Congress has
mandated that all 1700-plus TV stations nationwide transition to
digital television and discontinue broadcasting analog signals by
February 17, 2009. As a result, broadcasters will become more
spectrum efficient, allowing the spectrum above CH 51 to be
auctioned off for public safety and new media delivery services.
About the Survey The scientific survey of more than 100 television
stations was conducted for Harris by In-Stat in December 2007 and
January 2008. The survey has a margin of error of 9.3 percent. For
further information, contact Harris Corporation at . About In-Stat
In-Stat is a strategic segment of the $9 billion Reed Elsevier
global information network, with access to an expansive worldwide
electronic network, extensive technology databases and
well-informed personnel. As a member of Reed Business Information,
In-Stat is a division of the largest business-to- business
publisher in the U.S. For more information on In-Stat's research
pertaining to potential consumer uptake in the wake of the analog
cut off: http://www.instat.com/r/consumervideo. About Harris
Corporation Harris is an international communications and
information technology company serving government and commercial
markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne,
Florida, the company has annual revenue of almost $5 billion and
16,000 employees - including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists.
Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured
communications(TM) products, systems, and services. Additional
information about Harris Corporation is available at
http://www.harris.com/ DATASOURCE: Harris Corporation CONTACT:
David Glidden, Vice President, Marketing Operations,
+1-513-459-3639, , or Jim Burke, Corporate Headquarters,
+1-321-727-9131, , both of Harris Corporation Web site:
http://www.harris.com/ http://www.instat.com/r/consumervideo
Copyright
Harris (NYSE:HRS)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2024 to Jun 2024
Harris (NYSE:HRS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2023 to Jun 2024