Verizon FiOS strikes multicasting deal with PBS
By Richard Lawler 
posted Jun 17th 2006 7:09PM
posted Jun 17th 2006 7:09PM
While the government still ponders the must-carry multicasting situation, Verizon FiOS appeared to thumb it's nose at the cable companies today by announcing a deal with PBS and the Association of Public Television Stations to carry the programming of as many as three stations in one market, and additional stations as long as they are not duplicating programming from the other three.The cable industry struck a similar deal last year, where there is no limit on the number of stations carried, but the maximum number of multicast streams is 4. The Verizon deal has no limitation on the number of multicast streams carried, and includes PBS' high definition programming.
Read - Verizon strikes deal to carry public stations
Read - Verizon, Noncoms unveil carriage deal
This isn't really surprising, considering that the programming on PBS SD multicast channels is generally high-quality stuff that has an audience. That's why cable has already made that similar deal you mention. My impression was that cable's fear (in regard to multicasting) is that local broadcast stations will fill their multicast offerings with a bunch of garbage that they'll be forced to carry even if there's no customer demand for it.
Yes, but PBS has a vast library that I would love to see in HD.
Neal Saferstein
I get PBS HD OTA, and it is amazing. I love the programing. I also have FIOS for my internet.
I have Verizon FIOS in Reading, MA. The "HD" channel for PBS (802) does not broadcast the HD programming. Rather, it's the standard programming. I can get PBS HD over-the-air, it is amazing. I can also see that it's different programming. Does anyone know why this is? Is it a mistake, or are there legal issues?