Home

Deadline

U.K. Government Agency Recommends Deadline for Switchover to Digital TV

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 5, 2006 - 7:18am.
London -- In a report published earlier this week, the U.K. communications watchdog (Ofcom) said the government must stop dragging its heels and set a date for switching the nation's TVs from analog transmission to digital. The regulatory agency said an official timetable would significantly extend digital penetration in the country and help to ensure that the U.K. has made the move to digital by the end of 2010. In its Driving Digital Switchover report, which contained 23 recommendations, Ofcom warned the government that many TV viewers and broadcasters might need some sort of financial incentive to make the switch, which it said should by phased in region by region to prevent widespread TV blackouts. Since receiving the report, however, the government has said that it has no intention of subsidizing the replacement of nearly 40 million analogue TVs.
tags: Deadline | Digital TV | U.K. Government Agency | Switchover |

Congress Sets 2009 Deadline for Digital TV Transition

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 2, 2006 - 7:30am.
Washington - A hard deadline of Feb. 17, 2009 has been set by Congress for the U.S. transition to digital TV broadcasting. The U.S. House voted 216-214 on Wednesday to approve the date, which was included in a budget reconstruction bill expected to be signed by President Bush. Under the plan, an identical version of which passed in the Senate before the holidays, $990 million will be allocated to a subsidy program that gives consumers without the means to purchase costly new digital TVs up to two $40 vouchers to pay for special converters for their analog sets. The transition to digital TV will free up the analog spectrum currently used by broadcasters for other uses, including emergency communications services and new wireless services. "We now have three years to prepare for the transition," said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chair of the House Commerce Committee. "That is more than enough time for manufacturers and retailers to move low-cost digital televisions and converter-boxes into the market, for the FCC to complete the channel allocation process, for broadcasters to finalize their digital facilities, and for government and industry to prepare consumers for the transition." Wireless developer Qualcomm applauded the bill's passage, indicating its MediaFLO unit is developing a nationwide mobile TV network that will utilize newly freed spectrum put up for sale at auction. The spectrum auction is expected to raise around $10 billion for the government.
tags: Congress | Transition | Deadline |

Google Sets Thursday Deadline for IPO Bidder Registration

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 10, 2004 - 3:15am.
Mountain View, Calif. -- Search engine Google announced on Tuesday that prospective bidders for shares to be offered in its upcoming IPO will have until 2 p.m. Thursday to register online for a bidder identification number. It is expected that the actual IPO, for which Google has not yet set a date, will occur shortly thereafter. The company plans to sell around 26 million shares for between $108 and $135 a share.
tags: IPO | Google | Deadline | Bidder Registration |