Audio Video News

Several major TV networks have announced that they plan for their owned affiliate stations to keep analog signals on the airwaves until the final deadline in June.

When Congress voted this week to extend the transition from analog to digital television broadcasting from February 17 to June 12, the legislation left open a window of flexibility for broadcasters. While June 12 is the final deadline, stations have the option of sticking with the original February 17 deadline if they choose--but only if the Federal Communications Commission grants a specific waiver for each station. Reports are now coming in concerning the intentions of specific broadcasters as well as the FCC.

Speaking in a open meeting of the FCC, acting chair Michael Copps suggested that some stations may get waivers and others not. His main concern is that all stations in a given market might move in February, disconcerting viewers who are not prepared for the transition. To avoid that, the FCC plans to be selective about which stations get waivers. "We reserve the right to deny those requests if we find that it would not serve the public interest or if it would frustrate Congress' goal of giving consumers adequate time to prepare," said Copps, according to News.com.

Copps is imposing a tight deadline for broadcasters who need waivers. They have until only February 9 to apply. Presumably they'll be burning the midnight oil over the weekend.

Meanwhile, several of the major broadcast networks have promised the FCC not to cut off analog signals early (or as some would see it, on time). They include CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox, and affiliate stations owned by these networks. (Affiliates not owned by the networks may choose otherwise.) In addition, stations owned by Gannett and Hearst-Argyle Television plan not to make the transition till June.

However, some broadcasters do plan to proceed early (on time), if the FCC so allows, according to the Associated Press. They include about half of PBS affiliates nationwide, the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, commercial (but not public) stations in Utah, seven stations in Wisconsin, four in Minnesota, and five in Iowa.

Why would stations want to cut analog broadcasts in February instead of waiting till June? Cost. A PBS spokesperson said delaying the transition for all stations in the network would cost $22 million. A PBS affiliate in Oklahoma said the cost of running its analog transmitter from February to June would be $200,000. And these unanticipated expenses would come at a time when viewer and governmental contributions to public television are down.

Update: President Obama has announced that he will postpone signing the transition-delay bill until Monday to allow broadcasters to disclose their plans to the FCC. The White House has also posted the text of the legislation to its website and invited public comment.