HUNT VALLEY, Md., Feb. 1-- Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (``SBG'') (Nasdaq: SBGI - news) announced that it will demonstrate live, over-the-air digital television (DTV) reception, as compared to analog television reception, this week on Capitol Hill. The demonstrations are in response to numerous Congressional inquiries and are intended to demonstrate to members of Congress the flaw in the DTV standard.
"The failure of the current DTV modulation system has created significant concern in Congressional offices, and we are taking a `seeing is believing' approach. Members of Congress have made it clear they expect over-the-air digital television to be received without reliance on cable, satellite or expensive, outdoor directional antennas," stated Mark Hyman, Vice President of Corporate Relations. Hyman reports that the presentations will include side- by-side, over-the-air reception demonstrations comparing a variety of analog TV sets with a DTV receiver that FCC engineers have called "the best in the marketplace" Hyman commented, "We know from similar tests conducted at prominent sites throughout Washington, DC in December 1999 that inexpensive, portable analog TV sets outperform very expensive DTV receivers time and time again. It is doubtful that American consumers will purchase an expensive system that performs worse than the device it is intended to replace. The solution is for the FCC to permit broadcasters the free-market option of using the widely-adopted COFDM modulation system as requested in our Petition for Expedited Rulemaking filed months ago."
Sinclair has been actively demonstrating the superiority of the COFDM DTV modulation system that has been adopted in numerous countries representing nearly two billion people. The current U.S. system, called 8VSB, is impacted by ``multipath'' or reflected signals which preclude DTV sets from displaying a picture.
"The extensive real-world tests we conducted in Baltimore last year demonstrated the superiority of COFDM over 8VSB and were observed by over 150 witnesses including broadcast engineers and independent experts," stated Nat Ostroff, Vice President of New Technology. "Those who have attempted to impede our efforts have responded by conducting simulated and laboratory demonstrations in tightly controlled environments that have not been open to public scrutiny and peer review and do not represent real world, real life conditions of over the air reception. Public scrutiny will be the theme of the demos we will conduct on Capitol Hill. Several hundred members of Congress and staff have been invited and they can make up their own minds, " Ostroff commented.
Hyman noted the demonstrations will take place as press reports have emerged claiming that NBC reached the conclusion that COFDM outperforms 8VSB for indoor and portable antennas. Media accounts claim NBC recently conducted their own tests comparing the competing modulation standards and that they fully replicated Sinclair's earlier observations.
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is a diversified broadcasting company that currently owns or programs 58 television stations in 38 markets and 6 radio stations in one market. Sinclair's television group reaches approximately 24.4% of all U.S. television households and includes ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, WB, and UPN affiliates. Sinclair, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Sinclair Ventures, owns equity interests in Internet-related companies including BeautyBuys.com, Inc., an on-line e-tailor of brand name health and beauty products; NetFanatics, Inc., a web developer offering e-business solutions and applications; and Synergy Brands, Inc., a developer of on-line consumer product companies. Other strategic investments of Sinclair Broadcast Group include Acrodyne Communications, Inc., a leading manufacturer of transmitters and other television broadcast equipment.
SOURCE: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
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