Audio Video News

A three-month delay of the DTV transition is in the works at Congress. Sen. John Rockefeller (D-WV) has introduced a bill that would delay the switchover from analog to digital broadcasting from the currently scheduled February 17th to June 12th.

Said the senator: "Over 2 million Americans are waiting to receive a coupon to help them offset the cost of equipment that will help them manage the transition." Yeah, because they sat on their hands and didn't apply. "Millions more don't have the proper information they need." If they haven't seen the boatload of public service ads, they probably don't watch TV at all, so is this really a problem?

Senate Republicans immediately blocked Rockefeller's bill. However, Democrats will take another whack next week.

The impetus for the delay originated with President-elect Obama's transition team. While the FCC is managing the transition, it does so via an act of Congress, so only Congress can botch the transition--as it increasingly appears willing to do.

Delaying the DTV transition will cause more problems than it will solve, as Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association, explained in a letter to the Obama team. Shapiro cited the danger of "skepticism, confusion, and distrust." He warned of "significant unbudgeted expenditures from the public and private sectors," including funds for yet another education campaign, and the cost to broadcasters of continuing to lease and power their analog transmitters.

Regarding the availability of digital-to-analog set-top boxes, Shapiro said a delay could "suppress the present demand for boxes" and leave retailers in the lurch. And of course there are also the new users of analog spectrum, some of whom have invested billions and may choose to litigate. To say nothing of the first reponders who desperately need the spectrum to upgrade their life-saving equipment.

Shapiro has several suggestions for Congress and the Obama transition team: Deal with "accounting issues" that have caused only 19 million of 33.5 million STB subsidy coupons to be redeemed. Eliminate the 90-day expiration, which would give the existing coupons more mileage. Explore additional funding for both the coupons and beefing up call centers.

And finally, a novel idea: "Should the government determine that the supply of converter boxes will not meet demand, examine permitting use of converter box coupons to purchase access to digital television either through pay service (cable, satellite or fiber) or credit toward the purchase of a limited-feature or low-cost digital television."

It's been 26 years since the Advanced Television Systems Committee was chartered by Congress to create an HDTV transmission system. No one ever said it would be easy or painless. But the people who have managed the process have nothing to be ashamed of. They have done everything in their power to ensure that no viewer would be left behind. At this point, cutting off analog signals is the only way to identify the stragglers, help them cope, and complete the process. Congress should not delay the DTV transition.