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Digital TV Transition

FCC Commissioners to Star in Digital TV Transition PSAs

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 8, 2008 - 11:55am.

Washington - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is set to introduce a set of public service announcements for the upcoming digital TV transition, which for the first time will feature the commissioners themselves, TVWeek.com reports. To this point, PSAs on the transition have been produced by networks and cable and satellite companies, and some had criticized the FCC for not taking a more direct role. "The chairman and commissioners truly understand the issues related to the DTV transition, and certainly have the expertise to help promote important factors related to the digital switch," an FCC spokesman told TVWeek.com.

tags: Marketing | Policy | TV | FCC | Washington | Digital TV Transition | Kevin Martin |

Survey: 36% Unaware of Digital TV Transition; Many Confused

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 31, 2008 - 8:55am.

Washington - Over one-third (36%) of U.S. television households are unaware of the looming switchover to digital television broadcasting, set to take effect just over a year from now, while "major confusion" exists among the remaining consumers who are aware of the transition, according to a new survey from Consumer Reports National Research Center. An estimated 11% of American homes that rely exclusively on over-the-air analog broadcasts -- or about 23 million people -- will be unable to watch TV at all if they take no action before the switchover to digital.

tags: Law | Policy | TV | Reports | Digital TV Transition | Consumer Reports |

FCC Urges More Digital TV Transition Ads; Awareness Doubles

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 30, 2008 - 9:13am.

Washington - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and members of Congress are proposing an increase in the number of TV ads notifying consumers of the impending transition to digital TV broadcasting in 2009, when an estimated 15.5 million U.S. households relying on analog broadcasts will lose their signals, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The FCC may approve a plan that would require broadcasters to air at least four 30-second public service announcements about the transition each day, increasing to as many as 12 per day as the Feb. 17, 2009 nears.

tags: Law | Policy | TV | NAB | FCC | Digital TV Transition |

FCC to Resume Tests on Broadband-Over-TV Spectrum Devices

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 18, 2008 - 11:05am.

Washington - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced plans to resume testing prototypes of devices designed to transmit broadband service over unused portions of the broadcast TV spectrum, the Associated Press reported.

tags: TV | Microsoft | Philips | FCC | Digital TV Transition | White Space |

Digital TV Converter Coupons to Become Available Jan. 1

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 12, 2007 - 10:14am.

Washington - Beginning Jan. 1, the 13-21 million households that use an antenna to receive analog TV signals can ask the government for two $40 coupons they can use toward the purchase of converters that will be needed for them to view digital TV signals once analog broadcasts are discontinued in 2009, the Associated Press reported.

tags: Law | Policy | TV | Retail | Digital TV Transition | NTIA |

House Approves Feb. 17, 2009 Digital TV Transition, $1.5 Billion Subsidy

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 19, 2005 - 8:07am.
Washington - The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday voted on a digital television transition date of Feb. 17, 2009, the day when broadcasters will cease transmitting their analog signals and consumers will need either a digital TV or a special converter in order to receive a signal. Reuters reported that the deal, negotiated by Republicans in the House and Senate, would include a $1.5 billion subsidy, part of which would go to purchasing converters for those who can't afford new digital sets. The Senate had previously approved a $3 billion subsidy, and the House a $990,000 subsidy; the compromise bill must still be approved by the Senate. The subsidy has been a sticking point for the legislation, as current law requires that 85% of a market must be able to receive digital signals before broadcasters there are required to make the switch.
tags: Deals | VC | Digital TV Transition | House | Subsidy |

U.S. House Approves 2008 Digital TV Transition; $990 Million Subsidy

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 27, 2005 - 4:40am.
Washington - The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday voted to approve a bill that sets Dec. 31, 2008 as the date for the U.S. digital TV transition, when broadcasters will give up their analog spectrum and begin broadcasting digital TV signals. The House bill includes $500 million for emergency communications services for local first responders. It also provides a $990 million subsidy to help consumers who can't afford the costly digital TV sets necessary to receive digital signals purchase a converter that allows their analog sets to receive digital TV, to be doled out in the form of $40 coupons by the Commerce Department's National Telecommunication Information Administration. About 21 million U.S. homes are estimated to rely on analog broadcast television signals, and existing law stipulates that broadcasters may not abandon analog broadcasts until at least 85% of a given market is equipped to receive digital TV. Several House Democrats criticized the House's subsidy as too small; the Senate's digital TV bill, passed last week, includes a $3 billion subsidy. The Senate bill also sets the transition date a bit later, on April 7, 2009. Differences between the House and Senate Committee bills will need to be worked out between lawmakers from both chambers before a full vote in Congress can take place.
tags: Digital TV Transition | U.S. House |

Senate Committee Approves 2009 Digital TV Transition, $3 Billion Subsidy

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 21, 2005 - 8:29am.
Washington - The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee this week approved a bill that sets April 7, 2009 as the date that broadcasters will switch off their analog signals and begin broadcasting digital television signals to U.S. viewers. The timetable was passed over objections from Senators including John McCain (R-Ariz.), who wanted the switchover to happen as early as late 2006. The bill as passed also schedules an auction for the recovered analog spectrum that broadcasters will be giving up, which will occur on Jan. 28, 2008. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the auction will bring $10 billion, of which $3 billion will be used to fund a converter box subsidy program, to help those who can't afford the costly new digital sets purchase a device that will enable their analog sets to receive digital signals. Another $1.5 billion will be spent on a national alert system and to improve emergency communications services. A House Energy and Commerce Committee bill currently being circulated promotes a date of Dec. 31, 2008 for the digital TV transition, but provides just $990 million for a converter box subsidy. The National Journal reported that a committee vote on the House bill will likely be held next Wednesday.
tags: Senate Committee | Digital TV Transition | Approves |

Sen. Stevens Proposes $3 Billion Subsidy for Digital TV Transition

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 20, 2005 - 9:35am.
Washington - The chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee has proposed setting aside $3 billion to subsidize converters that will allow analog TVs to receive digital signals once broadcasters switch to digital broadcasting, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. The proposal from Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) drew criticism from other lawmakers, who would put a $1 billion cap on the subsidy. The converter subsidy is a key element in the transition to digital broadcasting; current law stipulates that 85% of a TV market must have access to digital TV before broadcasters may abandon their analog signals. While Stevens has proposed an April 2009 analog shut-off date, House Commerce Committee chairman Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) supports a date of Dec. 31, 2008, and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has called for an even earlier transition, in late 2006 or early 2007. Stevens said the $3 billion would be come out of an estimated $10 billion to be generated by an auction of the freed analog spectrum to wireless companies. Other elements of Stevens' proposal call for $1 billion from the auction to be spent on communications equipment for first responders; $250 million for a national alert system; and $200 million to generally aid disaster-prone coastal states.
tags: Digital TV Transition | Subsidy | Sen. Stevens | Proposes |

Sen. McCain to Press for Late 2006/Early 2007 Digital TV Transition

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 18, 2005 - 11:26am.
Washington - Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said on Tuesday that he will pressure fellow lawmakers to speed up the U.S. transition to digital TV broadcasting, lobbying for an analog shut-off date by the end of 2006 or early 2007, Reuters reported. The Commerce Committee, which has proposed an April 2009 timetable, is scheduled to vote on a date for the digital TV transition on Thursday. Lawmakers are eager to free up analog spectrum for emergency communication services, and also to reap billions for the government from the auction of spectrum to wireless companies. "Can we really afford to wait until 2009 before we go ahead and transfer this spectrum?" McCain said at a New America Foundation forum. "I believe the transition can be made by [early 2007]." The main roadblock to the transition is that current law states that 85% of consumers in a given market must have the expensive televisions necessary to receive digital signals before broadcasters can shut off their analog signals.
tags: Digital TV Transition | Press | Sen. McCain |

Senate Shelves Digital TV Transition Legislation

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 15, 2005 - 11:18am.
Washington -- Legislation aimed at setting a hard deadline for the U.S. transition to digital television broadcasting -- seen as a means of freeing up spectrum space for emergency communications services -- has been shelved until at least late October, a Senate Commerce Committee spokesperson told CNET News.com. The Senate Budget Committee has postponed action on legislation related to the digital TV transition and other issues in light of Hurricane Katrina. Several lawmakers have previously pressed for a mandatory deadline of Jan. 1, 2009 for all broadcasters to abandon their analog signals and switch to digital, but have met opposition from technology and consumer groups who say the sets are too expensive for many, in addition to existing legislation that says 85% of consumers in a given market must own such sets before broadcasters may shut off their analog signals.
tags: Legislation | Senate | Digital TV Transition | Shelves |

Broadcasters Agree to Proposed 2009 Digital TV Transition

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 12, 2005 - 10:38am.
Washington -- At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the digital television transition in Washington on Tuesday, TV broadcasters said they would accept a 2009 deadline to switch to digital broadcasting, Reuters reported. While broadcasters won't be ready to broadcast digitally until 2009, currently all U.S. TVs will be required to include a digital tuner by July 1, 2007. Broadcasters won't be required to switch to digital until at least 85% of consumers in a given market have digital sets. Some lawmakers are pushing for a speedier transition, so that analog spectrum currently used by broadcasters can be freed up for emergency communications services. "The bombings last week in London reinforce the immediate need for this spectrum," said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). A subsidy for those who can't afford the costly new digital TVs has also been proposed to speed the transition. "If you want an uproar from the people of this country, you have their televisions turned off," remarked Sen. George Allen (R-Va.).
tags: Digital TV Transition | Broadcasters Agree |

U.S. Senate Panel Votes Against Hard Deadline for Digital TV Transition

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 22, 2004 - 3:42am.
Washington -- The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday voted to reject a proposal from committee chairman Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), which would have mandated a nationwide transition to digital broadcasting of TV signals by 2009. The panel did approve almost $1 billion in funding that would be used for the purchase of low-cost receivers for low-income TV viewers, but some analysts said the lack of a hard deadline may postpone the digital TV transition indefinitely. The current rules state that 85% of a market must have the equipment to receive digital signals before broadcasters can be forced to abandon their analog broadcasts and upgrade to digital. Lawmakers then hope to sell off the freed spectrum to pay for low-cost receivers, as well as provide some of it to emergency communications services, which were hampered during 9/11 terrorist attacks.
tags: Digital TV Transition | U.S. Senate Panel | Hard Deadline |

Report: Digital TV Transition Has Long Way to Go

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 21, 2004 - 3:48am.
Washington -- A report from the Digital Transition Coalition (DTC), a coalition of consumer and taxpayer groups and technology firms, said on Tuesday that the country's transition to digital TV broadcasting is not progressing as quickly as claimed by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). Citing FCC and Primus Geographics data, the DTC said the transition excludes millions of Americans, especially in rural areas, and notes that 36% of households currently cannot receive digital service from at least one network (i.e. ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC). Additionally, over 5 million households (5.1%) can't get any network digital service at all. "The proportion of unserved households is even more alarming in the most sparsely populated states -- typically states with a disproportionate number of rural households," the DTC wrote in a letter to the FCC. "In the 10 states with the fewest households, a full 74.2% of these households are unserved by at least one of their local network stations. These maps and data thus illustrate graphically the distance that still needs to be traversed to achieve the goals of the DTV transition."
tags: Reports | Digital TV Transition | Long Way |

McCain Bill Would Put $1 Billion Toward Digital TV Transition by 2009

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 20, 2004 - 4:02am.
Washington -- Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, is drafting a bill that would put up to $1 billion towards a full transition to digital television by 2009, Reuters reported. The draft legislation would help consumers without costly digital TV sets purchase a device that would convert digital signals to a format viewable on their analog sets. Under the bill, the $1 billion would come from the sale of the prime airwave space currently used to broadcast TV signals to wireless network carriers, one of the major incentives the government has cited in connection with a rapid transition to digital TV. The government is now also saying the freed spectrum could be used by law enforcement and other agencies for emergency communications. "The nation cannot risk the further loss of life due to public safety agencies' first responders' inability to communicate effectively in the event of another terrorist act or national crisis," the McCain legislation states. The bill is expected to be considered by the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday.
tags: Digital TV Transition | McCain Bill |