RF Shorts - Sept. 24, 2009

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The Motley Fool Web site picked up a press release from Gray Television announcing Gray's first launch of mobile DTV. See The Future of Television on Mobile Phones.

PCTV has introduced a new USB DTV tuner, the "picoStick." It comes with an MCX RF connector and a small telescoping flip antenna. The device is currently available for DVB-T reception. Engadget.com has a short article on it with pictures. The PCTV Web site has additional information, in German. The Google translation of the picoStick product overview is fairly easy to understand.

The debate over "fee for carriage" of broadcast stations continues in Canada. This fee is part of a plan to help local television in smaller markets. Another part of the plan would allow stations in smaller markets to cease over-the-air broadcasting and go cable only. The Canadian government ordered broadcasters to collect public opinion on the funding scheme. See CRTC told to get public's opinion on ending TV network, cable feud and Ottawa takes charge of TV fee fight. Neither article mentions the proposals to allow stations to drop over-the-air signals.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung
Contributor

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack. A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.