.Conventions get 24/7 cable outlet...(ABC)

[SoCalDem]

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/211535p-182225c.html

Conventions get 24/7 cable outlet





LOS ANGELES - Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, George Stephanopoulos and ABC News President David Westin tried to explain yesterday why political conventions were important enough to televise gavel-to-gavel - but not important enough to cover via the network's prime-time broadcasts. As part of the plan, they revealed that a new 24-hour ABC News channel would run from July 26 (Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention) until Nov. 2 (Election Day). The conventions will be covered and analyzed start-to-finish. The catch - and it's a big one - is that this new ABC News operation isn't an established cable or satellite network. It's a digital signal that some ABC stations, including New York's WABC/Ch. 7 and all other owned-and-operated stations, have agreed to transmit separately from the regular ABC network signal.

It can be received only if local cable companies relay it to customers on one of their digital cable tiers.It'll be on the D-2 digital spectrum - wake up, I'm almost finished - and it'll be different from the high-definition network signals relayed in similar fashion. In many areas of the country, you'd have better luck trying to pick up the signal on your cell phone. Believe it or not, according to ABC, that's possible.

It almost becomes an existential question: If ABC covers the political conventions wall-to-wall but no one can see them, was it covered at all?


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[Ivote]

1. Oh My Nerves

I get it. I have hdtv and was wondering why I had two abc stations. One DTV and the other HDTV, besides my local abc.
On the DTV I have a screen with a weather map and sound from what is being aired on the ABC station. And I was just going to lower my cable service. I think I'll hang on just a little longer if this pans out. With a new LIBERAL station (WINZ)replacing foxsports no less is starting up in s. florida on monday things are definitely coming up roses. Will have airamerica coverage.

[SoCalDem]

2. I am so hoping that this is a "test-run" for ABC..

If they are smart, they would adopt a "CNN-of-old" format and blow the other infotainment venues out of the water..

If they just reported NEWS...and NO spin of any kind, they would attract millions of viewers..

There are many outlets for news, and if they reported the same story //"as seen by" the various outlets, and just let the veiwers decide, they could really make waves..

To do this, they would just have to be honest about the venues they were relying upon.. TELL the viewers that Washington Times is owned by Moon and then tell what HIS philosphy is.. The same for the Times and all the others..

We are being given a jigsaw puzzle right now..and there are so many pieces missing, that there is NO way we can work the puzzle..

[AndyTiedye]

3. Shouldn't That Work Over-the-Air Too?

They seem to have the multiple-signal capability there too.