HomeMy WebLinkAbout1984/01/24 - Agenda Packet - Adjourned1
RA cLr -AI% \GX
CITY COUNCIL
-- AGENM
Lions Park Community Contcr
9t6t Base Lino Road
Rancho Cucamonga, California
January 24, 1984 - 7:00 P -m-
Ad]ourned Meeti�
Cables a Television Needs Fs5e9320nf
i. CALL TO �nDER
A. Pledge of Allegianue to Flog.
Frost
p, Roll Call: Schlosser ' D, and Mikels
2 Background report on present cable television service in Rancho Cucamonga
A Presentation / Disoussion
B. Questions and Comments
g, Overview and status report of cable television franohlsa process in Rancho
Cucamonga
A. Presentation /Discussion
B. ouestions and Comments
4. Community input on types of services desired with future cable television
systems in Rancho Cucamonga
A. Presentation / Discussion
B Questions and Commenta
i g. Wrap -up and City Council direatio.,
g, ADdOURNMEUT
J
OVERVIEW OF MODERN CABLE COMMUNICATYONS SYSTEMS
Before any rbview is made of cable television options
as related to any specific community, it is useful to have
a general understanding of the currant communications capa-
bility of cable systems, the services and programming that
are commonly p:avided now, and those that may bn anticipated
in the foreseaab.e future This gunoral overview can then
be utilized as a base, which can be modified to most special
community = equirements.
A. Urban Cable Systems
:dode-n, urban-area cable systems have evolved to such an
extent, as compared to °raditional CATV systems, that they
represent almost a new dimension in tolecommunieations. Indeed,
because of their ability to distribute a wide variety of tele-
communications signals, including many non - television modes,
the newer, more advanced systems are more properly referred
u
to as cable commnications e1'stema, rather than cable televia ion
systems.
Figure 1 illustrates, in simplified fo.:m, this evolution.
• From a one -way medium which received and retransmitted broadcast
television bignals only, cable systems norr provide many two -way
services, some of wuicr do not oven involve residential sub-
scribers.
It should be noted that not only have the services been
expanded, but cable systems now compete against a broader
spectrum of competitors. For example,
• In its early retransmission -only phase,
cable sorvicoscompeted primarily against
local broadcast television stations
• With the introduction of pay -TV services,
cable systems began competing against
motion ictura theaters, as well as
sports an of ar entartainmcnt evants
designed to draw the audience cut of
the home.
• With the entry of two -way, non- entartainmont
services, such as aacurity alarm monitoring,
teleconferencing, data communications, etc.
cable aystema are now also beginning to
compote against tolecomnunications common
carriers.
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Thus, each expansion of cable system capacity provides
a new services, but also makes more complex the questions of
r regulation and economic viability. A modern, large -city cable
system is, in affect, a hybrid system capable of providing so
many tolecommunications services that it crosses traditional
linos of definition pertains d to other electronic communi-
cations systems.
System Capacity and Technology
A modern cable system, capable of two -way as well as the
traditional one -way communications, can provide any or all of
the following services:
• pasidential One -Way -- These include the
traditional MUVeorvices, essentially
entertainment or informational programs
provided to home subscribers. They
represent the overwhelming proportion
(over 90%) of cable industry revenues
to date.
• Residantlal/Intaractive -- These include
sere ces now y ntro aced or now in
development that require two -way signals
between the home subscriber and the cable
system headend. Services such as fire and
intrusion alarm monitoring, energy contro ,
me at n , audience polling, e
M tc., all
J___ a group.
Most urban systems constructed since 1972,
when the FCC required a minimal two -way
capability for all new "major market" cable
systems, either have, or can readily add, a
limited capability for interactive residential
services. Actual revenue for such services
has peen small to date, although some (e.g.,
fire - burglar alarm) appear to have great
potential and are being marketed in a few
cities.
° Institut "nal Or,e -Wa -- An example of this
m rg-g-
t e a re ea s on program from one school
transmitted to a number of other schools, or
from a bank Veadquarters to its branches.
ly J
f:C
• Institut.onal /neomive -- Most institu-
tiona users gree of two -way
communications ecpability (e g., the tele- `'
phone is an effective operational tool for
businesses, while the radio is not), so
that this group has the highest interest
for institutions.
There generally is a wide range of desired
communications modes, including two -way
video, ono -vay video plus voice return,
two -way date, video plus data return, etc.
Consequently, a cable system designed to
offer all of those capabilities must be
more complex and sophisticated, technologi-
cally, than a one -way, party -line home
subscr.bor network.
The major advantage of cable communications, as compared
to other media, is its capacity, i.e., the ability to carry
and distribute a very largo number of signals simultaneously.
This high capacity is ideal where many services and users are
involved, such as in a major city, and makes the cost per
service relatively low. The concept is the same as time-sharing
e large computer, or accommodating a high volume of traffic
on a highway.
The already -high capacity of cable systems recently has
been increased nven farther. Until about a year ago, commnr- •
cial CATV amplifiers had an upper frequency limit of about
300 Megahertz (MHz). This effectively limited the capacity in
any one direction to about 35 -37 TV channels simultaneously.
This is derived as follows:
The useful one -way bandwidth begins dt
the lower edge of TV Channel 2, the
lowest channel, which is 54 MHz,` and
ends at the upper amplifier limit, in
this case 300 MHz. Thus the useful
bandwidth is 300 -54, nr 246 MHz.
° 20 MHz (88 -108 MHz) are reserved for
the FM band. Therefore 226 MHz is avail-
able for TV signals. Since each standard
TV signal requires 6 MHz bandwidth, the
capacity is 37.7 signals (or "channels -).
Two channels, in the 108 -120 MHz range,
usually are not used to avoid possible
interference with aircraft navigational
communications. Thus the theoretical
37 channels :s reduced to a practical
35 channels. A 300 MHz cable system is
therefore a "35- channel system" and
referred to as such.
•
*Frequencies below 54 MHz are generally reserved for reverse
communications.
- 5 -
• Within the last your, a g,_ber of CATV equipment manu-
facturers have announced the availability of amplifiers and
related components that can operate to an upper limit of up
to 400 MHz. Using thin range, cable systems can now deliver
52 -31 imultancous TV channels, plus FM, in one direction
rather than the previous limit of 35 -37 channels.
Most franchise aoplicants for large -city franchises in
recent months (such as Minneapolis, Pittsburgh Portland,
Dallas, Now Orleans, etc.) have proposed extended - bandwidth
systems, with operatinq frequencies up to 400 MHz. Many
have proposed two cables for residenti.l serv.ces, providing
a capacity of 01 -M11— channels. It is likely that applicants
for major future rune Tees w 11 propose at least this capacity.
In addition to the cable(s) providing services to resi-
dential subscribers., .t is now customary for modern cable
systems to include a separate "institutional network ". This
may be one or more cables linking major institutions such as
public agencies, schools, hospitals, b.:sinesses, etc., and
providing a variety of two -way communications services. The
Institutional not-work can permit closed- circuit communications
among institutions, without involving home residents, and also
can provide, through interconnection with the home subscriber
network, the ability for institutions to communicate with
the general public.
Figure 2 indicates the currently standard techniques for
achieving two -wiy communications on cable networks. Figure 2
(a) generally is used for the residential network, which
requires a very high capacity in the outbound (downstream)
direction, and a limited return (upstroam) capacity. Figure 2
(b) and (c) art) used for the institutional network, which
requires a greater upstroam capacity.
r'or any community, therefore, even if the community
imposad no ranuirements of its own, It Is likely that appli-
cants waul— propose t o 0 owing:
° A realdgntial network, consisting of one
or two trun and Tstribution cables
passing every residence in a definad
initial or primary" service area, with
a -Capacity to deliver up to 54 TV channels
par cable to each home.
° An institutional network, connecting
eac me or nst tut on n trio community,
with the capacity to distribute a broad
range of two -way communications services
® This combination provides a highly flexible, dual - purpose
network capable of delivering almost any conceivable tele-
communications service within the community.
- 6 -
E
FIGURE 2
BIDIRECTIONAL CABLE COMMUNICATIONS
54 -400 MHz
FORWARD 52 -54 TV CHANNELS, PLUS F11 L DATA
•
`t REVERSE 5 -30 MHz
3 -4 TV CHANNELS S DATA
(a) Sub -Split rechnigLa
Single Cable, Bidi.:actional Co=unicatione
174 -40C MHz
FOPNARD —0- 37. TV CHANNELS
• •REVERSE 5 -110 MHz
14 TV CHANNELS
(b) Mid -Split Technique
Single Cable, Bidirectional Ccmmunicatione
54 -400 MH-
FORWARD —10- 52 -54 TV CHANNELS, PLUS FH i DATA
!1
E� REVERSE 54 -400 MHz
52 -54 TV CHANNELS, PLUS FM S DATA
(c) Dual Cable Technique
Each Cable Unidirectional
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- 7 -
Apart from the configuration and capacity of the cable
system, a number of technological features should be noted,
as a tackground to future cable decisions
These include the following,
Satellite -to -Cable 5 atom Communications --
T o use o common Cat ORa satellites to
relay signals to cable system headonds has
been perhaps the single most important
development in the cable industry in
recent years. Since late 1975, when
Home Box Office first used a Satellite
to delivar pay -TV programming, the growth
of satellite - delivered services has been
dramatic.
Since satellite communications costs are
distance- indepande.,t, they can distribute
"long -haul" signals at much lower cost than
terrestrial networks. Also, satellites are
ideal for the broadcast mode, where one
signal is trans tmi t—T simultaneously to
hundreds of cable systems, since a goo-
stationary satellite can directly oversee
much of the geographical area of the V.S.
Throe communications satellites presently
carry about 30 channels of programming for
cable systomsA dit anal satellites will
me launched in the near future, and the
variety of programming is expected to
increase substantially. As a result, a
54- channel, 400 is cable system, which
has ample channaa capacity at presone, may
be saturated in the next ive years or so.
This is the reason many franchise applicants
are now proposing dual -cablo configurations
for the home subscr ar network.
Ono aspect of satellite communications
that may become important in the near
future is the 'uplink" capability; i.e.,
tho ability to transmit signals orivinat-ng
in a city to a seta to to be relayed to
other parts of the U S., or oven inter-
nationally. With transmission capability,
events of spooial significance can be made
accessible to a much broader audience.
° 0 tical Communications -- In recent years,
opt ca communications has developed to the
point of becoming more competitive with
coaxial cable Optical communications
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includes both the wire type, which utilizes
lase fibers manufactured in cable form to
tranH t qht signals, and the wireless
type in which infra -red or laser signals
are =anamitted in space from one point to
another.
At present, optical fiber cables are com-
petitive for •suportrunk" applications,
where many signals must be transmitted for
long distances. They also can be utilized
in ,existing underground ducts and conduit,
where coaxial cable might be too bulky,
since optical enbl.a are much smaller in
9iameter. Infrared transmission may be
.,ssful for short local distribution links,
under some conditions.
It does not appear productive for a City
to attempt to predict the relative costs
and benefits of a now te:hnology to such
a degree that it is forced upon a cable
franchisee. Basically, opticaj communi-
cations is simply another means of deliver -
•'g electronic signals, and should be A
iaplemonted only when cost - effective.
Interactive Home Services -- 'Ph' -lo almost
a FEW_nc Ise app icants now offer two -way
and interactive home services, it must be
noted that, as of 1981, only a handful of
cabl.. systems actuelly provide this capabil-
ity. The range of equipment available,
therefore, is ertromely limited and may
well be in short supply in the future.
Except for one or two cable companies who
have developed their own interactive equip-
ment, almost all others expdct t.n purchase
this equipment from outside vendors. Only
two major sourer; exist at present TOCOM,
Inc, and Pioneer.
Both systems are described in Appendix A.
They are generally cortigured for security
alarm monitoring only, and can be expanded
for other two -way services such as energy
management, opinion polling, etc.
•
lop
- g -
The same lack of choice that governs two -
way polling equipment, also i� evident in
tha area of advanced converters, featuring
addres- abl.Aty, to etext and memory storage
capacity. For example, the TOCOM 55 /plus,
a new converter that provides these features,
has not yet been produced in quantity, and
is stated to bu back - ordered for perhaps
several years co come.
A critical factor, therefore, in the ability
to intrndLce nuw, interactive home services
Will be tho availability of reliable, low -coat
equipment in the necessary quantities for
large systems.
° Im act of Other Technologies -- Rapid devolop-
ment in of or tee 90- oq as may have a signi-
ficant impact on cable systems and their
services, and must be considered in establishing
cable requirements.
For example, the growth in the area of
"personal computers" indicates that these
• will pro orate vastly. At prices approaching
an electric typewriter or a color television
Sets ouch computers will be acquired in
greater numbers by small organizations and
individuals.
WMIC most of these units will be used for
stand -alone applications, there will be
increasing need to communicate with larger
computers, to access various data banks, or
to use specialized software available only
at large computer facilities.
This need will lead to a growing demand for
low -cost data communications networks. The
cable system may be expected to address this
demand, although its compot tive posture
vis -a -vis common carriers remains yet t be
determined.
Similarly, the growth in videocassette and
video disk equipment for persona use should
Stimu ate some new service demand c cable
systems. For service could utilize "electronic
channelsto distribute �"
movies, television courses or other video
material, with video cassette recorders in
homes and institutions recording the material
for later playback. Such a service could
utilize late -night hours, when many channels
would otherwise be unused.
3
- 10 -
Obviously, all of the technological develop-
ments in areas that may impact on cable
systems cannot be predicted. Those that
appear to have dynamic growth po--eatial,
however, should bo-evaluated as pact of
establishing cable system requirements.
C. Current and Anticipated SeLIices
Assuming again for the moment that a co:mmInity imposed
no special services or programming requirements, the franchise
applications and proposals made to other large cities within the
last year or two indicate that the following services would be
offered, as a minimum:
(1) Rome Subscriber Services (one -Way)
(a) Local Television Stations --
MT-R--eal TV stations are carried
(FCC requirement).
(b) fistant Television Stations —
Generally two or three distant
television stations are imported, •
usually through satellite communi-
cations. Three signals now carried
by satellite ares
WOC (Ch P) New York
wGN (CL,. S) -- Chicago
wnS (Ch. 17) — Atlanta
(c) Spatial Cable System Programs --
Vo�ications satellites now carry
a variety of special programs designed
exclusively for cables system viewers.
These include:
• C -SPJJt (U.S. Rouse of Representa-
tives Coverage)
• Cable News Network (24 -hour video news)
• Nics.elodeon (children's prcgrazninq)
• Cinemarica (for above -55 audience)
• USA Network (Wadison Square Garden
Sports, children's and women's
programming)
• Black Entertainment Television (programs
oriented to black audiences)
• Spanish International Network (Spanish -
)anguage programs)
• Religlous programming (Christian Broad-
casting Network, People That Love,
National Christian Network)
` BBC Programs
•
- 11 -
• Telefrance (Frerch Programs)
' Alpha (ABC cultural programs)
° CBS Cable (CJS cultural programs)
• Rockefeller Center TV
Entertainment and Sport Programming
Network (24 -hour sports)
° Las Vegas Entertainment Network
• American Educational Tv Network
• Appalachian Community Service Network
° Satellite Prngram Network
• Modern Satellite Network
(d) Automated Pre rams -- A variety of channels
are programme n bulletin -board typo format,
using text rather thLn video images. Typical
channels includes
• NA nal and International News
• Bus)neos News /Stock Ticker
• Sports News
• Consumer Shopping Guido
• Job Liotings
° weather Radar
° Transit /Traffic /Airline Information
° Local Events Guido
(e) Local and COmmnnit Pro rams -- Channel
capac ty USE y s a ocated to a variety
of local and community users, including:
• Government Access (may include separate
channels for City, County, State agencies)
• Educational Access (may include separate
channels for public schools, colleges,
parochial schools, etc.)
• Public Access
• Special Access (may include access for
libraries, health care institutions,
minority groups, community organiza-
tions, etc.)
(f) Pa -TV Pro rams -- All of the programs in (a)
to e a ve ere provided as part of the
"basic service" for one monthly rate. In
addition, a number of pay -TV channels are
offered, each at an extra monthly chLrge.
Pay -TV seroices includes
• Homo Box Office
• Showtimu
• The Movie Channel
• Cinemax
- 12 -
eGalavision (Spanish language)
Home Theater Network
° Pay -per -view (special events at a
separate viewing charge)
(2) Homo Subscriber Services (Two -Way and Interactive)
of new
interactive
planned for the near future. These include:
(a) Now Offered:
° Security alarm monitoring (fire,
intrusion and madical alert)
° Videotext data -bank information
4cee97 and retrieval
°
:'lay-cable (interactive video games)
(b) Planneds
° Energy management
° Home shopping
° dome banking
(3) Institutional. Cosmaunications Services
All forms of two -way communications (video, data, voice,
etc.) can be transmitted and received. Typical uses include:
° Video training and teleconferencing
° %lectronic mail
° ?acsimlle document reproduction
° Computer communications
° Inter- agency communications (e.g.,
I college tranumitting television
course material to firemen in fire
att dons )
° Telemet•y (utility mote. reading,
water level reading)
° Energy management
° Security alarm monitoring
Generally, ill the area of entertainment services, including
(1) (a) -(1) (d) and (1) (f) above , a ranchiso applicants offer
essentially identical or equivalent services. Since these
represent the primary attraction for home subscribers, the
that is available
applicants tend to offer almost all entertainment programming
C,
J
- 13 -
Consequently, the area in which communities can exert some
influence is primarily that of non- entertaimnent services
including:
• Local and Community services and
erograms -- (1) (e) above
• Two -way and Interactivo home Subscriber
Services -- (2) above.
• Institutional Communr.cations Services --
(3) above.
With respect to special or unique community requirements,
these services are usually the ones receiving the most emphasis.
D. Programming and Services Issues
(1) One -Way Eetertainment and Information Scrvicos
it has been noted above that in the area of entertait.rent
services, most franchise applicants will offer identical or
essentially equivalent services.
Since there will be ample capacity, in terms of the numaer
of available channels, and since the sources If entertainment
programming are availablo to all cable system operators, the
general practice is to carry all, or almost al„ significant..y
viewed entertainment programs. This is particularly true in
apolying for now franchises.
There may be sor.e minor variations. For example, one
applicr.nt may propose to combine religious programming, delivered
via satellite, on a single composite channel while another al)o-
cat ^s a separato channel for each religious service Similarly,
programs shown during the day such as children's shown, may
share the same channel with adult - orionted programs ttat arc
curried in the evening.
Essentially, therefore, the differences are more in channel
allocation than in actual quantity of programming The only
program services that might not be carried at all are chase that
the cable operator believes attract no significant audience.
Even here, t" general. tendency is to carry everything, since
the incr• ientsl cost of the extra programs generally is small,
and parts alarly in competing for a new franchise, paying the
added coat is more desirable than deleting some programming and
presenting the arpearance of offering less choice than the
eomnotition.
- 14 -
This trend is true for pry -Tv programming alro. Three or
four years ago, a franchise applicant generally would propose to
offer one "maxi" pay channel such as Home Box office ("maxi"
refers to a maximum range of movies and special show, including
some R -rated films not considered suitable for children, while
"mini" refers to a pay channel offering only G or GP -rated
movies) and one "mini" channel. Now, it is not uncommon for
applicants to propose carrying as many as six or seven pay
channels. Although there is considerable duplication of the
movies shown on each channel, the channels otherwise might go
unused. In addition, cable operators have found that some
percentage of the population is willing to subscriber to two
or more pay channels, which 'increases system revenue
With respect to information services, as distinguished
from entertainment, t ese usua y are automated tent programs
rather than video, as exemplified in C. (1) (d) above.
Until recently, the sources for such programs were two -fold:
E
Non -local information in alphanumeric
news -tc%or form is purchased from
national agencies such as AssOCiated
Press, Reuters, etc., and transmitted •
to the cable system via telephone lines
At the cable system headend, the informa-
tion is formatted for display on the
cable subscriber's TV set.
Local information, such as job listings,
a opp ng gui e, etc., is entered into a
computer memory storage at the cable
system headend by using keyboard -entry
•chr.racter generator" equipment This
information is updated manually on a
periodic basis, and entered into the
cable system for display.
Whether local or non - local, the information provided by
these automated channels generally is current and transitory,
in the sense that it is not stored for —I g -range uture
use Recently, another type of information service, the so- called
"data- bank," has been proposed for provision to cable subscribers.
In data -bank, applications, a large amount of information
about a prrticular subject is stored in computer form. For
example, the New York Times has a data -bank of old news stories,
Dow Jones a data -bank of past stock market quotations, there are
data -banks of medical and pharmacological information, etc.
40,
• - is -
For cable systems, the information in such data -banks can
be made available for display either on a ore -way or interactive
basis On a one -way basis, the entire data -bank is displayed
sequentially, one "page" at a time, and repeated periodically
On an interactive basis, the subscriber, by using a company -
supplied intoractive converter, can request spocific items of
information from the data -bank, using a method of access and
retrieval that selectively proceeds to lower levels of detail,
and locates and extracts the desired information
Data -bank services are now beginning to be proposed for
new, major market, cable systems The major undetermined factor
is not the necessary technology, but which data -banks would be
of sufficient value or interest to enough cable subscribers to
justify the cost of adapting them for cable system use.
(2) Two -Way and Interactive Home Services
Unlike one -way services, the entire area of two -way and
inte.active services is much less clearly defined and subject
to more economic uncertainty. These services are new, expensive
to implement and there is no substantial history to indicate
market demand, value of service to the subscriber, changes in
organizational structure necessary to delivery the service
efficiently, and other critical factors.
Nevertheless, these new services have the potential for
expanding the impact of cable systems upon the public by orders
of magnitude, in areas quite apart from entertainment. The
potential public benefits are such that any city should consider
carefully what requirements might be established, or incentives
provided, to insure that two -way and interactive home services
will be introduced as soon as technically and economically
feasible
Based upon other recent major market franchise proceedings,
host or all of the applicants for the major new franchises will
offer some two -way and interactive services _'initially The
most likely candidates a_e:
° Security al monitoring, including
monitoring osrm sro a�Ttrusion detectors
and a manually- activated medical emergency
alert switch or pushbutton
Most cable companies that provide or have
proposed this service use standard smoke
.41 ft and intrusion detectors for installation
in the subscribers' hones These provide
- 16 -
•
an electrical output signal, which is
connected to the cable system through
home terminal, which also includes
a digital code identifying the address
of the home
A computer at the cable system headend
controls the scanning of each home terminal
in sequence, usually scanning thousands of
homes in a few seconds. When an alarm is
detected, the location is identified and
appropriate action taken
installation costs range from $100, for a
minimum package of one smoke detector, one
me caT alert switch, and perhaps one door
switch, up to thousands of dollars for more
comprehensive protection. Monthly monitoring
charges generally are in the $10 -20 range.
some form of videotext service, which may
or may not offer interactive capability
initially. Tne technique that is most
popular currently is to transmit text •
concurrently with television signals, in
the unused 'vertical retrace interval"
time periods when the video "dot" generated
by the electron beam in the cathode- ray -tube
is moved back from the end of one "line"
of a television frame to the beginning of
the next. This is similar in concept to
utilizing the "dead time" of a typewriter
when it swings back the carriage to the
beginning of the next line. (see Appendix
0)
Converters, such as the Tocom 55 -Plus, are
now becoming available that can receive
and store the incoming video signals,
and format them for display on the sub-
scriber's Tv screen. Thus any channel can
Asplay either the video program or the
text information as selected
Interactiv -s data -bank services, which permit
subscribers to request, access and receive
selected data, bank information, are not
yet being offered routinely, although a
number of cable companies are investigating
this area 0
- 17 -
other two -way and interactive serv.ces have been proposed
for thz future, rather than initially, on the basis that they
evaluation. These include, among the
need further testing and
most prominent:
Energy management
Home shopping
Home banking
the
All of these are now being tested on a small scale, with
)nuication that development may be complete in the near future.
In general, two -way and interactive there is asfinanc t:l
expected to be revenue - generating,
incentive for the cable operator to introduce them as soon as
possible
There are also disincentives, howevd basicrandz pay -TV
on investment is being tea reluctcnt to expand ecialized
services, the Franchisee may be
areas that require further capital investment and ap
arelnotirequiredifor angantertainmentIDorientedccabletsysLemly
Furthermore, there may be some caution about competing with
specialized supplters such as the
such
Furthermore, there May indusP Y that offer the same services,
existing security alarm companies.
For these reasons, it may be necessary for a city to
to insure that everyleffagraPpearsbto be teehnicallycandhaconotacth y
services as rapidly leaving all decisions solely
feasible, rather than simply
franchisee
(3) Institutional Services
callyInstitutionalthanminteractives homes services. Although
nomi-
rovided data
there are numerous examples of individual services that have been
implemented (e.g., the Manhattan cable)3 }therehis no operating
communications services for some Y metropolitan -area, full -
axperience available for a large - scale,
service institutional network. A number o£ such t (ranch are
et been c..mpleted and put into service•
committebutohavennotuytion as the result of recent franchise
awards,
has the gruates
The institutional network,
however, "-
® potential for in�rovina ublic- sector communications, since
to�tnstitution communicationsec which 9cannot be satlsfied��throughn
ional residential network.
the use of the convent
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•
can Five Of the aredgivenr�iniAppendix Cery that
They
include:
• use of cable ,mmunications for court
arrangements.
• college courses via two -way TV.
• Ftreman training via TV into each firs
station.
• Energy management for municipal facilites
via cable
C Data communications via cable.
Many other systems by e being
networks are
plannedd, ,
completed in various cities-
The
range of sThereiaretalso infancy, and
man •uncertainties remaining to be resolved.
some overall conclusions with respect to institutional
services can be reached at this Po i
• There is significant interest in the possible
benefits of cable communications among both
public and private institutions, but also
uncertainty as to specific costs and benefits
• Some public agencies approach cable services and
facilities on the presumption that they would
be provided at no charge by the franchisee
This may or may not be the case •arether agencies
(primarily those that presently 4 for
common- carrier services) view the cable system
as b rathers alternative to ofree"service.
lines,
• There is some uncertainty as to the ne..r -term
and long -range capacity and capabilit} that the
potential users will need
The question of institutional network capacity ,and cneebsliot•
may perhaps be the simplest to address In g
potential institutional users fall into the following categories:
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•
° Video communications amon ins_S tutions,
Tor train ng, a ucation, to econ_eT renting
and telemedicine.,
' Data communications amon institutions,
to access a common ata base or to
traffic data from one location to another.
° Video comnunications to the eneral public,
or a ucat ono or n ormatron purposes,
through interconnection from the institutional
to the home subscriber network.
A11 of these capabilities are within the normal design
abilities of a modern cable system, so t at nothing unusual is
involved in requiring them.
The technical questions, therefore, are reduced to which
institutions should be connected, and what overall communi-cations
capac ty s ould be provided.
In these areas, a prudent objective appears to be to
require access for all public institutions that have any fore-
see communications n eeas, an—ca ressonablo capacity to meet
at least the worst -case traffic conditions t at might occur in
the next 7 -8 years (the first half of a cable franchise period).
With respect to capacity, if the cable franchisee installs
only a single cable for the institutional netwo -k, with 400 MF:z
technology a "mid- split" configuration can provide over 20 channels
capacity in either direction. This capacity appears co i-e
sufficient for the short -term
Thus, even if the cable operator installs the equivalent
of a minimum -coat institutional network, enough capacity will be
available for some time to come.
(4) Local and Community Prc•graimeing
Local, community and "access" programming generally includes
one -way, television - format programs to residentiaL subscribers
from government agencies, schools, health -care institutions and
social, cultural or civic organizations The programs are
.ielivered on channels dedicated for community or access use.
The charnels either are allocated for full -time use by sp -cific
organizations, or are shared by any number of qualified ccmunity
groups
141
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G]
Since modern cable systems hive great channel capacity,
and since, further, there presently is a scarcity of attractive
programs to fill the channels, cable companies are able to
allocate almost any desired number of channels to community use.
This costs the cable company little or nothing, since there fa
not available sufficient attract ve programming £rom other
sources to fill up these channels. The offer of a "dedicated"
channel in many cases is designed more to ain pod will toward
ac irin 1_hc franchise than in any expectation t at rhos.
CH none s will ve usod fully, or even at all.
preparing local programs that will attract any significant
audience is a difficult, time - consuming and, in some cases,
expensive task. It should be noted in passing that each of the
major networks, ABC, CBS and NBC, program only "one channel" in
the sense of providing only enough programming for a single
24 -hour distribution channel Yet each ^etwerk spends hundreds
of millions of dollars annually in this task.
Obviously, local programmers cannot match these resources,
but nevertheless are competing for a share of the same audience. •
The local or community programming, t ero ore, must e of-R-5-m-
cient interest to attract its target share, in spite of this
competition. This taken creative and imaginative progra=ing,
if not professional polish. most community organizations pro-
bably cannot produce such programs more than perhaps once a
month, and in many cases even more rarely
Consequently, the need is not for more or dedicated channels,
but rather for some central au rt rou that can provide both
facilities and trained personne to assist the community organi-
zations, most of whom will be only occasional cable system users,
and could not afford their own equipment o-r—full tine ctaff.
With such a support group, programs can be produced efficiently
and as prafessionally as resources permit.
It is also logical for one or two cow unity channels to
be shared initially by all users, so that there will be suffi-
cient programming to attract some viewers and keep them returning
to that channel Later, if these shared channels become saturated,
additional channels can be provided.
•