2ND UPDATE: SAG met this afternoon with the AMPTP and said it needed more info to analyze and review the Big Media offer. So don't expect any new developments until next Monday. But probably not until July 8th when all sides find out whether the AFTRA/AMPTP was ratified. Then Hollywood travels into uncharted territory. (See my two SAG/AFTRA/AMPTP articles in LA Weekly: here and here.)
Here's SAG's statement tonight:
Los Angeles, July 2, 2008 – The Screen Actors Guild national negotiating committee met with AMPTP negotiators today to present a series of substantive questions on the employers’ proposed package. Guild negotiators and staff will further analyze and review the AMPTP’s responses over the next several days in order to prepare a response to management’s proposal. The Screen Actors Guild national negotiating committee is working hard to achieve a fair deal for actors. The committee is mindful of its obligation to advance actors’ interests and to safeguard the protections our contracts afford them. Guild negotiators are engaged in, and committed to, the negotiating process and are confident that an equal commitment from management will allow the parties to reach a fair agreement that serves the needs of Screen Actors Guild members, their employers and the industry.
UPDATE: The AMPTP issued this statement tonight:
On Monday AMPTP presented SAG with our final offer, containing more than $250 million in additional compensation for SAG members over three years, groundbreaking rights for actors in the new media area, and a basic economic framework that has already been accepted by the DGA, WGA and AFTRA in four separate labor negotiations this year. On Wednesday, we met at SAG's request for 4 hours to answer SAG's questions about our final offer. SAG asked for more time to study our final offer and indicated it will contact the Producers on Monday. We remain hopeful that SAG will advise that it is accepting our final offer. No further meetings are scheduled.
Previous: I hear that today's negotiating session will probably just be a preliminary discussion about the AMPTP's "last best final" offer made Monday to SAG. The actors guild will still have to do a comprehensive analysis and further review.
Speaking of not expecting much…
Is anyone else getting a deluge of phone calls from their old pals… Like Sean Penn, Tom Hanks, and the 100 other celebrities you don’t know to vote?
Nothing makes me want to vote contrary to my own causes like having my time wasted.
J.R.
Comment by j.r. — July 2, 2008 @ 4:43 pm
Goddamn DGA. This is all their fault.
Comment by scott — July 2, 2008 @ 7:21 pm
I was so happy to hear from Mr. Spicoli from the Ridgemont High Alumni Association. I told him I was on the do not call list but he kept rambling on. Not nice to call from a blocked number roboSAG.
Comment by BTL Mom — July 2, 2008 @ 7:44 pm
Why is Hanks pushing the stinko AFTRA deal? Because he’s a producer and could cheap out on the actors?
Comment by Curious — July 2, 2008 @ 7:53 pm
here’s the deal. AFTRA ratifies by 70% or more… SAG sucks it up, postures for a few weeks and takes the deal.
AFTRA ratifies by 70% or less… SAG sends out strike authorization votes and sits on the results while the make SOME progress, but nothing to write home about.
If AFRA members are smart, they’ll give SAG a little love and come in around 68% in support.
No one is going to strike, not now. But SAG does still have a few moves left in this chess match.
Had AFTRA not screwed them, everyone would have come out ahead.
Comment by simon says strike! — July 2, 2008 @ 8:14 pm
Why is everyone saying its someone else’s fault? Can’t anyone accept responsibility?
Let’s assume that nobody else has made their deal and this is the only deal to focus on.
How does this offer compare with ALL the other offers from ALL previous negotiations since the begining of SAG?
The answer is:
This is the best increase in the history of the SAG contract. Please somebody prove me wrong. Point to other contracts where bigger gains were made.
You can’t.
You also can’t tell me why the leadership isn’t presenting the best gains ever to the membership so that THEY can decide what’s best for THEM.
Everyone has an opinion, so let them vote. Im not scared, why should you be?
Comment by NotgoingtoTip — July 2, 2008 @ 8:28 pm
Let me get this straight.
1) AFTRA agrees to a deal with AMPTP
2) SAG says that AFTRA’s deal is HORRIBLE!
3) AMPTP now offers SAG the AFTRA deal
4) SAG needs time to analyze the deal
Why in the hell would SAG need time to analyze the deal? They have been outspoken against the deal for several weeks. Either they never thouroughly reviewed AFTRA’s deal to begin with and were against it simply because AFTRA negotiated it and they didn’t or they are saying they need more time to analyze it to see how close AFTRA’s vote is in hopes they can still proceed with a strike.
You can never believe a word that comes out SAG’s MF leadership.
Comment by Just Saying — July 2, 2008 @ 8:37 pm
simon says strike said: “here’s the deal. AFTRA ratifies by 70% or more… SAG sucks it up, postures for a few weeks and takes the deal.”
SAG will nod bout have to take an inferior deal this time around because of all the others that caved in. Then in the next 3 years work hard to find a way to get rid of AFTRA. Not merge, succeed. Every actor I know has had enough of their making things worse for actors. It started years ago when their mismanagement caused them to assess every member a b.s. $100 fee charge without us getting to vote on it. This past year they have proven they value producers over actors. Instead of hurting SAG’s ability to negotiate they should have used that energy going after the many NON UNION shows and networks that their members work for. For God’s sake CNN is non-union. And they do nothing. Nothing!!!!! AFTRA has not only jumped the shark they are the shark.
Comment by Fed Up with AFTRA — July 2, 2008 @ 9:12 pm
Why is Hanks pushing the stinko AFTRA deal? It’s still a secret to me. I searched a blog names horsemingle.com, there many people are talking of it.
Comment by Kate — July 2, 2008 @ 9:15 pm
The final offer that SAG got is already better than the AFTRA deal. SAGs minimums are higher to begin with. What your all stuck on is the residuals. No one is going to agree to a residuals on an unproven business model. The job of a CEO is to paint the rosiest picture it can to it’s stockholders. They don’t even believe themselves I don’t think. The DGA spent time and money on their analyses and it’s valid for the next three years.
My suggestion is that no matter who runs the guilds, you mend fences and present a united front to these congloms. I would love to see the the IA be in with you, but unfortunately our union is run by mid west stagehands who have no understanding of film making. Just the strong arm.
Comment by just a thought — July 2, 2008 @ 9:25 pm
BTL Mom -
If you were an actor - and apparently you are not - and possessed some feeling for the nature of the craft and the history of film, you would know that Sean Penn brought to the screen a character never before seen in film, but firmly grounded firmly in the reality of an emerging subculture. He did such an amazing job with that character that to this day, fans like you (and you must be a fan, or this character wouldn’t be so deeply seared into your cerebral cortex) still confuse the character for the actor, though we have seen Mr. Penn give a range of amazing performances that looked and felt nothing like his stoner surfer dude from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. His portrayal was so iconic that the stoner dude became a new type. Actors like Keanu Reeves (whose breakout role was a rather similar character in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure) owe their success in no small measure to Mr. Penn.
A fair argument may be made that on occasion Mr. Penn lets his passions get the best of him - a tendency to excess often comes with talent like his - however, it is equally true that he consistently walks his talk, and frequently.
If you, BTL Mom, forthrightly state, point by point, where you differ with Mr. Penn’s politics and why, that’s acceptable. Your snide Spicoli reference is not simply disrespectful of Mr. Penn and his talent, is not simply a dim-witted and ineffective cheap shot, but also displays your lack of respect for the craft without which there would be no BTL employment in the first place. As it is, whether by intent or not, you come off as someone who neither understands or respects the beats & rhythms of this amazing creative industry.
Comment by mheister — July 2, 2008 @ 11:13 pm
This meltdown is not the DGA’s fault or AFTRA’s fault. It’s SAG’s fault for their lousy negotiation tactics and their total lack of ethics. The things they have done are a disgrace - to try to cut their own regional leaders in Chicago and NYC off at the knees, to send out robocalls to get another union’s contract rejected (say what you want about AFTRA, at the end of the day they are still their own union with their own authority and rights). They are reaping what they sowed.
SAG’s egotism, stupidity and greed is proof that actors are indeed the dumbest and least grateful of the Hollywood bunch.
Comment by Fed Up With SAG — July 3, 2008 @ 2:22 am
For Chrissake’s mheister, don’t take yourself so seriously.
Comment by BTL Grandma — July 3, 2008 @ 7:25 am
MHeister says, “Blah, Blah, Blah, Pompous, Pompous, Pompous, Blah, Blah, Blah. Hmmm, I like the sound of my voice.”
Comment by ROTFLMAO — July 3, 2008 @ 7:30 am
mheister-
I’m sorry…. I think I fell asleep during your post to BTL Mom, could you start over.
Comment by #44 — July 3, 2008 @ 8:47 am
Mheister-
You have a Shrine to Sean Penn in your closet don’t you.
Lighten up pal.
I don’t have to defend my background on stage and screen to someone with zero retention of previous posts of mine he’s read previously and no sense of humor.
I will take issue with SAG bombarding me with unwanted calls and e-mails when if they had any information sharing with AFTRA in the last 3 + years they’d know that I’m on Honorable Withdrawal from AFTRA and they don’t need to waste my dues money calling me about a contract I can’t vote on without reinstating my current status with AFTRA.
The reality is that this is a vacation week for a whole lot of folk so this last minute push to get out the no vote is a waste of time and resources. If dual card members haven’t sent in their ballot yet, then they most likely won’t.
I also refuse to state point by point why I disagree with Sean Penn. I could care less about Sean Penn. While I agree that he is talented, he just has never appealed to me. I’ve seen a lot of his work because it featured other actors I do like, but his perfomances while good, don’t leave a lasting impression on me. I don’t care for cubism either, but I can look at a Picasso and know it’s an inspired work from a telented artist. I just wouldn’t want one hanging in my living room.
Sorry to burst your bubble but the character of Spicoli is not “deeply seered” into my cerebral cortex. I’ve seen Fast Times at Ridgemont High once. The only reason I even remember the name of his character is because it’s become a part of the pop culture lexicon for my generation and is referenced in other works.
As for stoner dude being a new type thanks to Mr. Penn, I guess you’ve never heard of Tommy Chong who mastered it back in the 1970s.
Comment by BTL Mom — July 3, 2008 @ 8:57 am
Letter to SAG;
How is all this stalling going for you? Do you really think people are dumb enough to vote down the AFTRA deal? it wont happen. what a stupid strategy. where do you people come up with such dumb ideas? Why did SAG wait so long to start negotiating? Who comes up with these idiotic plans? Is Pee Wee Herman running your negotiating committee? I wouldnt be surprised if he becomes your next union president. couldn’t be worse than the current clown.
I hope when SAG realizes it has wasted a month trying to undermine its sister union, which wouldn’t help your cause anyway, YOU will make a deal with the AMPTP and let everyone get back to work in the film industry. Why is SAG run by such idiots? I guess that’s what happens when washed up actors run a union. its really sad how unions are destroying the entertainment industry. One of these days people will realize how poor some of the Hollywood unions are and they will be broken so business can continue and not be thwarted by spoiled artists.
Comment by Steve — July 3, 2008 @ 9:26 am
Steve,
Steve…. Steve ….. Steve….. Steve….. Steve, come on gimme a hug!
Comment by #44 — July 3, 2008 @ 9:40 am
Goddamn DGA. This is all their fault.
Comment by scott
May I rebut you’re measured analysis on a point by point basis. Oh, you made no point, just another lame assertion from an imposter.
Comment by Scott — July 3, 2008 @ 11:33 am
I disagree with Steve, I think guilds are a great thing in Hollywood. They provide health insurance, pension plans, minimums…they’re great for everyone including the producers.
There was a time when SAG was run by a professional union guy, he negotiated solid contracts for years and years without a single incident. But as SAG got bigger the amount of largely unemployed members got bigger, and the politics became more about who could harness this reservoir of resentment in order to get elected rather than who actually had the skill to negotiate contracts and run a guild.
And thus…here we are.
Comment by a suit — July 3, 2008 @ 11:34 am
Steve wrote: “I hope when SAG realizes it has wasted a month trying to undermine its sister union…”
ROFLMAO…as opposed to AFTRA that has been undermining SAG for years now and has cranked up the poaching machine of late. Ask anyone who works on an AFTRA show how they like the residuals giveaway!
Quite simply, AFTRA is a weak union that will take whatever scraps thrown their way. Until they enforce their rule one and stop their members from working non union at will then they are not to be taken serious. Time for all actors to dump that union and let the broadcasters who love working non-union have it all to themselves.
Comment by Pepper — July 3, 2008 @ 11:43 am
Suit wrote:
“the politics became more about who could harness this reservoir of resentment in order to get elected”
Excellent turn of phrase. SAG’s situation in a nutshell. Well played, sir.
Comment by Scott — July 3, 2008 @ 11:58 am
“suit”
I think the “they’re all unemployed bitter people” argument is both offensive, and wrong. It’s a very specific union, where there are wild divergences in income: Will Smith - 100 million this year? Bob Smith - $2,500.00 Are there shitty actors in SAG? Sure, just like there are shitty whatevers in any union. Bob Smith may have been on a top ten series once. He may have been on the cover of TV Guide once. But now? Bob is 60, and he doesn’t get much work, and the residuals have stopped coming in as much, and Bob really, really needs the residuals he DOES get, and Bob is really, really counting on that pension he has coming, and the health insurance he gets,, if he’s really, really lucky, and can cross the earnings threshold every year, 10 grand if you’re over 40 and you have 10 years in. Sounds easy right? Not if you’re Bob Smith it isn’t. So, Bob goes without health insurance some years. Other years, he gets the odd gig on a TV show, which is hard, cause everybody remembers him from that old show. But that one top of show gig, plus residuals, may get him health insurance, and get him one year closer to that pension. See, what’s lacking on this blog, among other things, is compassion. What SAG is asking for is entirely fair and long overdue. That’s why AFTRA’s betrayal is so deep. AFTRA wants what SAG has: jurisdiction. Power. More members. More dues. Respect. But they are going about these things by stabbing SAG in the back. Should AFTRA have a 50/50 say at the bargaining table, when SAG has 100% of film and 99% of TV? Of course not. That’s insane. Why would AFTRA expect to have 50% of the board members when negotiations happen with the AMPTP? But they did. They just bullied their way there and refused to submit to the numbers and to reason. Now? Now they decided, for the first time in 27 years, to negotiate separately from SAG. They’re angry. They feel disrespected. Why? Because SAG membership voted “NO” on merging with AFTRA, despite SAG’s former President and many board members being vehemently for merger, and spending millions of dollars of SAG members dues, to convince SAG members they should merge. And the SAG membership listened. Twice. And, they said “NO.” Twice. You’d think AFTRA would get the hint, right? I mean, it was democratic, yes? Following SAG voting rules, yes? Nobody questioned the integrity of the vote, yes? But AFTRA leadership and the SAG/AFTRA dual card-holder board members who wanted desperately to merge, so AFTRA could enjoy the substantially better pay, residuals, benefits, health and pension, that SAG had negotiated over many, many years? They were pissed. Livid. And they wanted revenge. So, now, when the AMPTP gave them a way, they broke with SAG, and made a deal that does not provide the increases and protections that SAG wants, especially for the internet, where all production is going. See, the AMPTP wants as much wiggle room as possible for the internet, because they know, the more they can limit SAG’s jurisdiction, pay, residuals, and health and pension contributions for the internet, the more money they get to keep off actor’s work. And, if you listen to their corporate leaders themselves, in their own words, they are telling their shareholders it’s gonna be huge. HUGE. But to SAG? They say, “we have no business model.” So, SAG says, “well, fine, whatever, but ANY business model you decide on? You should have no objection to a fair PERCENTAGE of all original content and all residuals for reuse, right? Makes all the sense in the world: you do great? Same small percentage, SAG gets its due. You don’t do so great? Same thing - small percentage. That formula covers us both, right? “No,” says the AMPTP. “It’s a non-starter,” says the AMPTP. Why? Because they HATE SAG, and they HATE paying actors who aren’t stars ANY of their profits. They view it as THEIR product, paid for with THEIR money, and that THEY should decide what the so called “middle-class actor” gets paid. They HATE paying Tom Hanks 20 million plus 10 percent of first dollar gross too. They HATE it. But, Hanks? He’s “the cost of doing business.” Will Smith? “Cost of doing business.” BOB Smith? FUCK BOB SMITH. That’s what this is all about. SAG is the actors’ BEST and ONLY shot at getting the protections they deserve. Not AFTRA, with 1% of TV jurisdiction, and 0% of movies. SAG. Obviously, no one, none of the cynical nay-sayers on this blog, cares about Bob. But SAG actually does. They want what’s best for Bob. How do I know this? Because I’m an actor. I’m sorta like Bob, in fact. And I know Alan Rosenberg knows, as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow? That, if his wife wasn’t making “fuck you” money for the both of them? (good for her, and, bonus, she’s a helluva actress), Alan Rosenberg KNOWS - HE might be Bob Smith. Good actor? Sure. Big, lucrative gigs? Could happen. But, what if it doesn’t? And what if Alan ISN’T lucky enough to be married to Marg Helgenberger? Alan becomes Bob Smith. THAT’S why I TRUST him to do the right thing. THAT’S why I VOTED for him. And THAT’s why I’m proud that he’s telling the AMPTP to go fuck themselves, and that when they wanna REALLY talk? Well, Doug Allen is a professional labor negotiator. And Alan is all ears. Because it’s the RIGHT THING TO DO.
Comment by 35th Street — July 3, 2008 @ 12:34 pm
Bravo! 35th Street. Tell it like it is…
Comment by John — July 3, 2008 @ 1:09 pm
A double Bravo! And Thank you!!!!
Comment by Bob Smith — July 3, 2008 @ 1:26 pm
Kudos, 35th St.
One of the few measured assessments of actor issues I’ve read on this blog. The AFTRA/SAG explanation made sense. Your “Bob Smith” example was fabulous. I will say, however, that the future of the internet is not certain. There is a bandwidth problem. Even without broadcast TV moving to the internet, it’s not clear that with all the you-tube, viral video viewing, there will be any bandwidth left. Comcast and AT&T are already instituting slow-downs. I’ve read projections that concluded the internet is headed for a massive slow-down over bandwidth by 2010. These facts don’t portend well for a shift to internet delivery. There is no business model. The assertions on this site and others that warn of the end of broadcast TV are fanciful and without basis. You ever try to watch an episode on your computer? It’s jerky and slow. Pension, Health and Welfare are the basis of a labor agreement. Lack of roll-backs in those areas, along with jurisdiction over New Media, should be the fight. In other words, the DGA contract. Your battle with AFTRA must be saved for another day.
Comment by Scott — July 3, 2008 @ 1:36 pm
Scott-
I’ve heard those some bandwidth projections too. Yet some folks like to point out the tempest in the teapot.
Did anyone catch the recent news about a Pew studiy that found there are quite a good percentage of Americans that just aren’t interested upgrading from dial-up to Broadband even if the prices come down. You can read the article yourself by copying the link below.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/vdunet/20080703/ttc-us-broadband-take-up-slows-6315470.html
The part I found most interesting is that a quarter of Americans still have no internet access at home at all, broadband or dial-up. But most of the poor and elderly have television sets, even if they’re using rabbit ears. I don’t see broadcasters abandoning that share of the market.
I can’t watch a whole streaming episode of anything. With the current limitations in bandwidth, there’s just something about the video compression that drives my eyes wonky after a few minutes even if its a good stream.
I don’t think broadcast moving to the internet is as far as a leap as say the 1928 Felix the Cat broadcast was to HDTV, but I think that having the internet be the sole distribution method for networks is quite a ways off both in terms of infrastructure and acceptance.
Comment by BTL Mom — July 3, 2008 @ 4:51 pm
35th street-
Good comment. Let me take it one step further. Simply wanting something is not enough. You have to know how to get it. All the leaders of all the unions fumbled the ball. You stand in front of Goliath and want to be David but wanting isn’t enough. Alan might have desire but again that is not enough. He may be right and I believe all the unions are fighting for a just cause but again, not enough. Desire and being on the side of “good” is not enough to win.
When you watch a playoff game and one team is down 36 points and there are 3 minutes left you don’t send in your best players to get hurt trying the impossible. You acknowledge and move on.
What can we learn from all these negotiations? That one union can not go it alone. The AMPTP knows this. So they spread everyone out. In three years when the contracts expire and we are here again how are we going to win? Well, we ALL have to go in together. How can we do that? The first union whose contract expires must work without a contract until every unions contract expires and we are ALL out together. Then when DGA, WGA, AFTRA, SAG, TEAMSTERS and IA are all out, then we AMBUSH. Now this is going to take a lot of trust between unions. The AMPTP’s only recourse is to force a lockout in time to disrupt unity and in enough time to force the last union to go it alone.
So far we now will have a 7 month gap. The time between when DGA signed and if/when SAG signs. Its a long time to work without a contract, but you WILL still work. As long as there is trust between the unions. It will take the AMPTP a few months to figure out what our plan is and even longer to put a lock out into action. Remember they are a slow moving behemoth of tangled bureaucracy.
The key is to acknowledge this round and move on quickly so the 7 month gap doesn’t become 8 or 9 months. A strike with over 500,000 would pack a punch. IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO WIN. TOGETHER.
So for the next 3 years we should all get busy mending rifts. Making alliances and fortifying a single unified game plan. You can bet the AMPTP is not going to sit around idle for the next 3 years, why should we?
Comment by NotgoingtoTip — July 3, 2008 @ 7:27 pm
Notgoingtotip
What seven month gap? The DGA’s contract expired June 30th, same as SAG’s. The gap will be between the WGA and SAG.
Comment by scott — July 3, 2008 @ 8:54 pm
NotgoingtoTip
Unless and until these “creative” guilds recognize the work of the BTL s we will get nowhere. I’m all for striking as one. It appeals to the communist pinko fag in me thank you Arlo for such an eloquent phase. The point being is the reach out. The directors actors and writers must reach out to each other and then reach out to the IA and teamsters. We have numbers. So do you. A strike by a half a million will truly fucked them up.
Lets try CSI Belgrade and see if it plays.
Comment by just a thought — July 3, 2008 @ 9:45 pm
Steve said:
“I hope when SAG realizes it has wasted a month trying to undermine its sister union, which wouldn’t help your cause anyway, YOU will make a deal with the AMPTP and let everyone get back to work in the film industry.”
In addition, I don’t need over-paid, wealthy fat-cat actors like Sean Penn telling me how to vote my AFTRA ballot. I could care less what the man thinks. Excuse me, but the man doesn’t speak for the majority of actors and he wouldn’t know an unemployment check if it bit him in the ass.
So, yes Steve, SAG is run by a bunch of timed-out, elitist actors who feel quite full of themselves. They have no strategy except to point fingers and place blame. Instead of fighting for us…they turn their attention to AFTRA….I say throw them all out when its time to VOTE FOR A NEW SLATE OF PEOPLE IN OUR UNIONS WHO CAN TRULY REPRESENT ACTORS!
Comment by Mark — July 4, 2008 @ 7:37 am
35th St -
I actually think we agree. As I said in my post, Guilds are good things for everyone. It’s short sighted to think that screwing a Guild is good for business, and vice versa. In other words, it’s a negotiation, a tough negotiation generally done by seasoned professionals.
No one doubts that Alan Rosenberg is a good man who has nothing but the best intentions for actors, but he has handled this particular contract negotiation with an appalling lack of savvy. And let’s be honest with each other, everybody knows it…even SAG.
And as for AFTRA, I guess there’s some of the resentment I’m talking about. You can go on and on about all the bloody history of the two Guilds, but at the end of the day, the fact that neither Guild found a way to negotiate together is laughable.
No one needs to remind anyone that Acting is a very, VERY tough business that doesn’t dovetail nicely into the economics of middle class life. That said, I hope that the Guild and the AMPTP manage to hammer out something that helps support and sustain income and security for all actors.
Comment by a suit — July 7, 2008 @ 9:37 am
I don’t think broadcast moving to the internet is as far as a leap as say the 1928 Felix the Cat broadcast was to HDTV, but I think that having the internet be the sole distribution method for networks is quite a ways off both in terms of infrastructure and acceptance.
Comment by BTL Mom — July 3, 2008 @ 4:51 pm
With broadcast television going completely digital in Feb 2009, the infrastructure is already in place. Considering an “internet option” on your television being as easily accessible as a wireless keyboard, acceptance isn’t that far behind.
This isn’t 1995 when Microsoft “InternetTV” was attempted.
Comment by e — July 7, 2008 @ 4:05 pm
e-
The 2009 switch to digital is for over the air broadcasts and has nothing to do with the internet. It was supposed to happen back in 2006, but the networks, stations and the folks that make the converter boxes for people without cable or satellite complained they weren’t technologically ready back in the early 2000’s (gosh it feels weird saying “early 2000s”) and the date was pushed. The switch to digital was mandated by the FCC so they could regain control of the analog VHF and UHF parts of the frequency spectrum so they can lease those frequencies in the future for other uses than broadcast television.
The internet in its current form is not going to be capable of sending everyone in America 1080p HD streaming video anytime in the near future. It’s taxed enough already with people streaming 4×4 videos off of You Tube. You’ll need a connection speed faster than DSL or Cable Internet to do it. So no, the infrastructure is not in place. You could ask just about any employee of the companies that would be in charge of that type of switch, Verizon, AT&T, DirecTV or even Microsoft and you’ll get a similar answer.
Comment by BTL Mom — July 7, 2008 @ 9:30 pm