Thirty-seven of the nation’s 64 cable service operators have the capability to provide high-definition (HD) broadcasts of all programs on their basic channel packages, a National Communications Commission (NCC) report showed yesterday.
The study was the subject of discussion at the commission’s weekly meeting, in which it passed a resolution that all cable TV basic channel programs should use HD broadcast by the end of this year.
The resolution was passed to facilitate the production of HD programs and enable cable television viewers to enjoy high-quality audio-visual content, NCC acting spokesperson Hsiao Chi-hung (蕭啟宏) said.
The study also found that 52 of the nation’s cable operators offer HD broadcasts for 75 percent of the programs on their basic channels.
In addition to cable system operators, Hsiao said that the commission requested channel operators to air their content in HD signals.
The NCC had previously found 27 channels that were often included in the basic channel package, but have yet to transmit all of their content in HD.
As of the first quarter this year, four of the 27 channels — Videoland Inc’s On TV (緯來綜合台), Movie (緯來電影台) and Max TV (緯來育樂台) channels, and Dayang Variety Channel (大揚綜合台) — had raised their percentage of HD content to 100 percent, Hsiao said.
Nine other channels were able to raise their HD content to between 60 and 80 percent, he added.
The commission would use a series of administrative measures to help it reach the policy goal on HD content, including reviewing a cable system’s or a channel’s business plan and proposed fees, and evaluating their performance to determine if their licenses should be renewed.
China Network Systems (CNS) and Kbro Co, the nation’s two largest multiple system operators, had pledged to provide all-HD broadcast in the first and second quarters respectively, the commission said.
Music channels that offer audio-only broadcasts and public information channels are exempted from the HD broadcast requirement, Hsiao said, adding that cable systems are not obligated to air channel lineup page in HD signals either.
The commission had previously said that it would subsidize cable operators experimenting with offering 4K resolution programs, as it hopes that cable subscribers would be able to watch next year’s Tokyo Summer Olympics in 4K.
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