Publication Type: Media Release
Date: 2/4/2005APTS: Jeff Davis/Kristin Wilson 202-654-4209 NCTA: Rob Stoddard/Brian Dietz 202-775-3629 PBS: Jan McNamara 703-739-5028
Untitled Document
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Boards of Directors of the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS), National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) this week formally and independently approved an unprecedented digital cable carriage agreement that will allow U.S. cable customers to enjoy the high-definition, educational and children's programming provided by the nation's local Public Television stations. Details of the agreement were announced on January 31.
With approval by all three Boards of Directors, the next step in the implementation process is ratification, which requires that Public Television stations in markets that comprise 80 percent of U.S. TV households, and cable Multiple System Operators (MSOs) representing at least 80 percent of cable subscribers, individually approve the agreement within 60 days. MSOs would begin carrying Public Television stations pursuant to the agreement within 180 days of its ratification.
The Public Television Digital Cable Carriage Agreement ensures that local Public Television stations' digital programming will be carried on cable systems serving the vast majority of the nation's cable subscribers for the foreseeable future.
As previously announced, terms of the agreement include:
• During the period when Public Television stations are broadcasting both in analog and digital formats, upgraded cable systems that offer High-Definition Television (HDTV) will carry up to four streams of free non-commercial digital broadcast programming and associated material from at least one Public Television station in a market, if a station chooses to distribute that many streams, in addition to the station's analog signal.
• After all TV stations in a market are transmitting only digital signals, upgraded cable systems that offer HDTV will carry free non-commercial digital programming of each local must-carry Public Television station. This carriage may include four streams of free non-commercial digital programming and associated material, subject to reasonable programming duplication parameters.
• Any Public Television station that decides to shut off analog transmission and broadcast in digital-only before the DTV market transition may choose to have its digital signals carried on the upgraded local cable system at that time.
The Public Television Digital Cable Carriage Agreement does not supersede existing pre-transitional digital carriage agreements among Public Television stations and cable systems. The existing agreements would remain in effect until they expire.
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The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization established in 1980 to support the continued growth and development of a strong and financially sound noncommercial television service for the American public. APTS works closely with individual stations to produce effective strategies that allow stations to fulfill their individual missions. As broadcasters make the transition to digital transmission, APTS is working to ensure the federal government continues its commitment to universal public television services.
NCTA is the principal trade association of the cable television industry in the United States. NCTA represents cable operators serving more than 90 percent of the nation's cable television households and more than 200 cable program networks, as well as equipment suppliers and providers of other services to the cable industry.
PBS, headquartered in Alexandria , Virginia , is a private, non-profit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 349 public television stations. A trusted community resource, PBS uses the power of noncommercial television, the Internet and other media to enrich the lives of all Americans through quality programs and education services that inform, inspire and delight. Available to 99 percent of American homes with televisions and to an increasing number of digital multimedia households, PBS serves nearly 100 million people each week.