What's Needed Is a Better DTV Converter

[Commentary] If you have been following viewers' complaints from around the country and reading the articles describing the outcome of the shutdown in Wilmington, N.C., let me assure you: The reception problem is consistent with the system design. There should not be any surprise. Broadcast and government engineers are aware of the reality, but their leaders are in denial. If you think that the designed reliability of our service is not a handicap, think about the Emergency Alert System failing 10 percent of the time at 50 percent of the locations and whether that is adequate for homeland security. Fortunately, there is a way to correct for the ATSC system's inherent shortcomings. Basically, we need a new converter box. (Oded Bendov is president of the TV Transmission Antenna Group, a consulting engineering firm.)