WASHINGTON, D.C. – Public Television stations serving markets that comprise over 80 percent of U.S. TV households and cable Multiple System Operators (MSOs) representing over 80 percent of cable subscribers have ratified the previously announced “Public Television Digital Cable Carriage Agreement.”
The agreement, announced in late January by the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS), the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), ensures that local Public Television stations' digital programming will be carried on cable systems serving the vast majority of the nation's cable subscribers. MSOs will begin adding the digital PTV stations to their local cable systems pursuant to the agreement later this year.
John Lawson, president & CEO of APTS, said: “The enthusiastic response to this historic agreement by Public Television stations validates the tremendous investment APTS, PBS and NCTA made to achieve this agreement. The overwhelming station and MSO ratification of the agreement is a testament to its benefits for public stations and cable systems. I look forward to working with Kyle and NCTA to implement the agreement.”
Mr. Lawson continued: “Our stations are optimistic about the future, and are aggressively focusing their resources on developing digital multicast programming and services. With this agreement in place, local Public Television stations will move forward with their plans to produce more high definition, children's and local programming secure in the knowledge that their viewers will receive it. In addition to programming, stations will continue their leadership in working with federal, state and local officials to use digital ‘datacasting' technology to provide homeland security and emergency public safety information to their communities.”
NCTA President & CEO Kyle McSlarrow said: “Ratification of this agreement represents an important step in ensuring that cable customers will for the foreseeable future enjoy the creative, non-commercial digital programming produced by our nation's public television stations.”
Pat Mitchell, President & CEO of PBS, said: “ Building on the work done by PBS and APTS over the last few years to secure digital carriage of public television stations through voluntary contractual agreements, this partnership is a crucial part of securing public television ' s place in the media landscape of the future. With this agreement and over 300 public television stations providing digital content to their communities, public television is well positioned for the digital transition. ”
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