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Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Michael Powell has asked major networks to boost their digital programming to at least 50% of their prime-time schedules for next season. He asked broadcasters in major markets to make sure they can transmit digitally by next January without degrading their analog signals. He also asked electronics manufacturers to include digital tuners in coming generations of television sets—in 36" or larger sets by 2005, in 25" or larger sets by 2006, and in 13" or larger sets by 2007. Tuner requirements have been contested by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), which claims that it does not want TV design to be "dictated by Washington."

Wild Blue Yonder Okay, I know I shouldn't gloat. But I told you so. The breathtaking, commercial-free imagery of a packaged HDTV medium would persuade people to watch less broadcast and cable TV. That new medium has arrived.

Because every new format seems to set off a format war, we were a little surprised when nine major electronics manufacturers announced that they actually agreed on what the next-generation recordable optical-disc format should be.

Okay, I know I shouldn't gloat. But I told you so. In a keynote speech at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) annual convention a year ago, I warned that if the broadcast and cable industries didn't get their act together when it came to putting high-definition signals out there in a big way, high-def programming would be provided by other means.