Dayton OH Media Market

¶ … Telecommunications Act of 1996 was a high point in the history of telecommunications in the United States. It was coming twelve years after the breakup of AT&T; the Act endeavored to reposition all telecommunications markets in the direction of opposition. The Act imagined antagonism in all telecommunications markets, both in the markets for the numerous elements that included the telecommunications network, along with the final services the network generated. Going on the knowledge of the long distance market, which was distorted from a monopoly to a successfully competitive market over the last twelve years, the Act attempted to endorse opposition in the hitherto dominate local exchange markets. The Act acknowledged the telecommunications network as a network of consistent networks. Telecommunications contributors were obliged to intersect with applicant at any possible point the entrant desires. Most prominently, the Act commanded that current local exchange carriers ("ILECs") lease parts of their network to competitors "at cost"; provide at a wholesale discount to participants any service the ILEC supplies; and charge mutual rates in extinction of calls to their network and to networks of local opponents. Furthermore, the Act demanded that ILECs that came out of the Bell System be acquainted with a number of requirements, counting a public interest test, before they may go into the long distance market. Thus, the Act provided some guards against the sell abroad of ILEC monopoly authority to other parts of the network. Many legal confronts to the Act and its implementation have been increased by the ILECs resulting in very slow completion of the Act, and, in many cases, in no considerable completion of the supplies of the Act. Therefore, more than two years after the passage of the Act, there have been extremely entry and competition in local exchange markets. In reply to the obvious breakdown of the completion Act, there has been a gesticulate of amalgamations in the U.S. telecommunications industry. In that case, telecommunication markets in most cities including Dayton, Ohio have merge together to compensation for its failures.

Before the Telecommunication Act of 1996, Dayton, Ohio had many successful media communication. In the early 50s, there was the nation's first licensed, non-commercial television station was Ohio's WCET, Cincinnati, which went on the air in 1954. By 1960 three more public television stations had been licensed in Ohio. To make sure arranged sustained development of public TV in Ohio and to supply financial support and services to the stations; in 1961 the Ohio General Assembly formed the Ohio Educational Television Network Commission. Therefore, it is clear that Dayton, Ohio's media was better off without the Telecommunication Act of 1996, which had a lot of failures that made companies merge together (OET, 2 2001).

In the following quote, it can be proven that Dayton, Ohio's media was in good standing even before the Act. It is obvious that the Act in 1996 caused more telecommunication failures than they had before it came into effect.

The commission formulated a statewide educational television expansion plan. As a result of this plan several new stations were built and in 1976 a two-way microwave system tied together the 12 public television stations in Ohio. In 1998 a fiber optic interconnection system was completed, replacing the microwave system and providing multiple program and data streams to all OET affiliates. The Richard B. Hull Network Operations Center (NOC) in Columbus serves as the hub of this interconnects system.

Senate Bill 201 which took effect in 1980 extended the powers and interests of the Ohio Educational Television Network Commission to include the educational radio stations in the state. The commission's name was thus changed to the Ohio Educational Broadcasting Network Commission" (OET, 3 2001). So, some thing are better off without any extra help like the Telecommunication Act of 1996 proved since most of its responsibly had failed and caused other companies to merge.

With that in mind, there is more proof of that agreement to be correct in the below quotes.

In 1984 OET's budget included funding for Ohio Radio Reading Services (ORRS). The nine Ohio radio reading services provide spoken information to those who do not have easy access to normal print due to visual loss or physical disability" (OET, 4 2001). Ohio had enough funding to give more to the community in 1984, which makes it clear that the Telecommunication Act of 1996 was not necessary since most of its responsibilities failed as companies had to band together due to its damage.

In 1995, with plans for a complete statewide fiber optic interconnection underway, the General Assembly renamed the agency the Ohio Educational Telecommunications Network Commission to more accurately reflect its expanding role (OET 5, 2001). By this quote, it is extremely that the Act of 1996 was completely not necessary since most media in Ohio including was better off without since they made more money long before it came into effect, causing a lot of telecommunication companies to lose profit and making them merge together.

From research, it is blatantly obvious that Ohio which its city of Dayton has had a great communication media within the last forty years or more. That proves that it could have done without the Telecommunication Act of 1996, which caused a lot of mishaps within the communications market that made some companies merge together so that they could turn a profit. The following quote explains why OET can manage without the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which means it was unnecessary for it to take in effect as when it was established, and causing some major profit loss to many different companies. In other words, instead improving the Communications market, the Act became very hurtful to it and causing a lot of money to be lost within many companies that were in good standing before it came along.

OET has a long tradition of serving Ohio citizens through educational initiatives and putting new technology to use for its affiliates. This remains a primary objective and OET is involved in a wide variety of activities to use the newest technologies to advance its mission. OET is a network hub delivering public TV and public radio programming, in addition to instructional and professional development materials, throughout Ohio with a mix of satellite, fiber and broadcast technologies. The OET Operations Center in Columbus uses a fiber interconnection system to link each public telecommunications outlet in the state. Using its array of satellite antennas, OET is able to uplink and downlink programming and either record and store the material in its library to feed on request, or pass in directly to the station for broadcast. With the fiber system, and a sophisticated scheduling system, OET and its network of stations and services have a major tool in place to handle increased programming and expand educational services to schools" (OET, 6 2001). By standing on its own, the OET has surpass the corruption of the Telecommunication Act of 1996 that caused a lot of communication companies to merge together to obtain a profit.

With the following facts, it is made clear after the Act of 1996; OET overcame the problem that most telecommunication companies could not when it was establish. "Ohio's public TV stations, along with Ohio Educational Telecommunications (OET), are leading the way in embracing all of the elements of Digital Television, or DTV. When your local public station begins broadcasting a digital signal in the not-so-distant future, they will be committed to providing all the enhanced benefits of DTV to our viewers.

The FCC has already established the new channel assignments and deadlines by which all television stations must be transmitting digital signals. According to this federal mandate, all public television stations must be transmitting digital signals by May 1, 2003 (Telecommunications, 1, 2002). Therefore, despite the troubles that the Act has caused within the telecommunications industry, OET has become a dominant telecommunication company in Ohio.

Describing digital television with words does not substitute for experiencing, seeing, and hearing the difference that DTV and the enhanced elements of high definition, multicasting, and data casting bring to the viewing experience. DTV will bring unique benefits to viewers through the enhancements of multicasting, data casting, along with unmatched picture quality. Perhaps you have already heard the term "enhanced TV." Digital television will truly offer an enhanced experience in television viewing, compared to what we have today. In addition, HDTV, or high definition television, offers a visually stunning element"(Telecommunications, 3 2002). With all of the technology that OET has invest in, they have clearly went their own way without the effects of the Telecommunication Act of 1996.

Since the arrival of the Telecommunication Act of 1996, obviously there has been new technology with the telecommunication market, which OET and other companies have obtained within themselves.

With DTV broadcasting, the audio, video and data signals are transmitted as a series of 1s and 0s, just as in your computer. With digital you do not experience any degradation of signal quality during transmission. However, if you lose the signal, the picture will completely disappear. Broadcasting with digital is all or nothing. The best analog picture can never compare with a digital picture. Digital signals produce clear and crisp TV pictures unlike any available from analog technology. High-definition television will offer as many as 1,080 lines of resolution, compared with analog's 480. DTV will display a wider, more cinematic screen shape. The aspect ratio-of existing televisions are 4 x 3. The new digital standard will provide an aspect ratio of 16 x 9. OET and it's network of public television stations around the state will embrace this benefit of DTV for our viewers by broadcasting and producing enhanced digital television programs. In the coming digital future, Ohio's public broadcasters are committed to using the expanded digital spectrum to bring out the best of the TV industry. Digital technology will open the door to new and exciting opportunities that have never before been possible. One digital signal can broadcast three different transmission options, Multicasting, Data casting, and High Definition Television (HDTV). These options will provide viewers tremendous flexibility in the use of a station's digital services" (Telecommunication 5, 2002). Even though the Telecommunication Act of 1996 did not produce a lot of positive outcome, OET Telecommunications became very high in technology for the future.

As mentioned before, there were some telecommunication companies that suffered loss of profit from the actions of the Act, causing them to merge with other ones to gain money back. Even though some of these telecommunication companies are nationwide the changes in them as effected all states and all cities including Dayton, Ohio. And, by merging together, it did bring better quality of company service among them in the future.

SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (TRI) is present at the future, enabling SBC Communications to make tomorrow's technology today's solutions. TRI's customers are the trusted brands of SBC -- SBC Southwestern Bell, SBC Ameritech, SBC Pacific Bell, SBC Nevada Bell, SBC SNET, Cingular Wireless and Sterling Commerce.

We're building on SBC's 100-year track record of innovation by attracting the top talent in the industry and by challenging these thinkers to look beyond the traditional and the expected to solutions never seen -- or even considered -- anywhere else.

Thought leadership is our business; intellectual property, our trade. We welcome you to the TRI site, and we encourage you to learn more about our unique approach, our remarkable innovators and our latest achievements" (SBC 1, 2001). It is true that the Telecommunication Act of 1996 did some harm but the overall outcome was not that bad with telecommunication companies since they formed together and became something better everywhere, which includes Dayton, Ohio.

Recently, this became true with SBC, which made incredible changes in Telecommunication Industry as the following quote explains Fred Chang's, the president of SBC plans for the future of SBC, which included all cities even Dayton.

Chang's keynote presentation will focus on the Internet as the driving force behind the need for high-speed services and broadband applications. As the Broadband Internet era begins, Chang will take a look back at the dramatic growth of the Internet over the past ten years, discuss today's broadband capabilities and share his vision for a future where people access the Internet from multiple connected devices delivering customized content directly to the home and office." The genie is out of the bottle on broadband and it is reaching critical mass with consumers and businesses," said Chang. "The Broadband Internet represents a fundamental shift in the evolution of the Internet. People are spending more time online and both wired and wireless devices at the home and office are utilizing this increased bandwidth, setting the stage for an era of pervasive computing." A veteran of SBC Communications Inc., Chang previously served as vice president of network engineering and planning for SBC Advanced Solutions, Inc. (ASI), a subsidiary of SBC. While in that position, he was responsible for engineering the network that delivers DSL (digital subscriber line), Internet, ATM (asynchronous transfer mode), frame relay and other data services. Chang owns a small piece of Internet history, as he was responsible for Pacific Bell becoming the first Regional Bell Operating Company on the Internet" (Blaker, 1,2,3). Therefore, the Telecommunication Act of 1996 did actually bring out some positive outcome even though it did cause some companies lose profit and merge together to make up the difference which became a great asset to them along with affecting cities such as Dayton, Ohio.