As SHOOT went to press, the U.S. Senate had approved postponing the country’s transition to digital TV from Feb. 17 to June 12. It now appears likely that some sort of delay, which has the backing of President Obama’s administration, will come to pass.
On the ad industry front, three key groups–the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) and the American Advertising Federation (AAF)–have expressed their joint support for the four-month reprieve. The organizations cited the amount of households that are not ready for the transition, as well as the chance for the government to address some unresolved issues that arose throughout the transition process.
Currently many households are still categorized as either “completely” or “partially unready” for the transition. As of January 2009, Nielsen Media Research estimated that 5.7 percent of television households were “completely unready,” meaning they did not have any sets equipped to receive digital signals. This amounts to approximately 6.5 million households.
Meanwhile, another 9.2 percent of homes were “partially unready,” meaning they contained at least one set that was not equipped to receive digital signals and one or more sets that are ready; this translates to about 10.5 million households.
These 17 million “unready” households would lose television reception either completely or partially should the transition occur in February. The ANA, AAAA and AAF are concerned that this sudden loss of the ability to receive television transmission would cut off many millions of Americans from important media access, including commercial messages.
The ad industry groups further contend that the proposed four-month delay in implementation would give the government the opportunity to address the issues it has had with the TV converter box coupon program, including unclear expiration dates, and reimbursement funds that have been depleted. Removing these impediments would in turn allow more of the “unready” households to upgrade their systems and be deemed ready for the pending transition.
The ANA, AAAA and AAF contend that by June the prospects are much better for a smooth digital transition in which few or no households would lose television transmission.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More