DTV Transition Date Delay - It's final. Again. June 12, 2009.  

Senate Agrees To Move DTV Transition Date

Must be reconciled with House version of the bill

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/26/2009 5:00:16 PM MT

The Senate Monday night approved unanimously a compromise bill (S.328) that would move the DTV transition date from Feb. 17 to June 12, but it must now be reconciled with a House version of the bill, and quickly point out backers of the legislation.

Senator Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and the bill's co-sponsor, sought a similar vote on his original bill, which would simply have moved the date from Feb. 17 to June 12. That bill was blocked by at least one Republican, which is all it takes.

Rockefeller then teamed with ranking Republican Kay Bailey Hutchinson on a compromise bill that dealt with other issues, including unclogging the DTV-to-analog converter box backlog and access to reclaimed analog TV spectrum by industry and first responders. Most importantly, at least in terms of getting Republican support, the bill is revenue-neutral, meaning the cost of making the move will be underwritten by future FCC spectrum auctions.

It was that bill that made it past the Republican gauntlet.

The House is preparing Tuesday to mark up its own, similar, bill, but could conceivably engage in a game of legislative ping-pong with the Senate version that would preclude having to conference to reconcile the two. The bills are "virtually alike," says one Rockefeller aide. "The House bill actually contains funding number which we don't have in our bill." He said they may have to conference the bill, but it could also be a case of where "they amend it and pass it back over here and we amend it and send it back over there until we have a final bill."

The Obama administration three weeks ago asked Congress to delay the transition date, prompted primarily by a slow-down in converter-box coupon distribution due to the combination of a funding ceiling and an accounting problem that prevented more coupons from being sent out before expired ones were redeemed.


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House rejects delay in digital TV switch
1/28/09

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The US House of Representatives, in a setback to new President Barack Obama, on Wednesday rejected his call to delay next month's nationwide shift to digital television.

The Senate unanimously agreed on Monday to delay the switch from an analog to a digital signal, which had been scheduled for February 17, until June 12 but the House rejected the move in a 258 to 168 vote on Wednesday.

The vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed for passage of the bill without amendments.

Members of the Democratic-controlled House are expected to bring it back to the floor again to try to secure passage with a simple majority.

Before he took office, Obama's transition team had called for a switch to digital to be delayed, arguing that many people were not yet ready for the end of analog broadcasting by the major US television networks.

The government has been providing Americans who rely on over-the-air signals with a 40-dollar coupon to defray the cost of buying a digital converter box.

But the coupon program has run out of funds and, according to research firm Nielsen Co., more than 6.5 million American households are not prepared for the move.

Many of the unprepared are low-income households, minorities, seniors or disabled, according to Nielsen.

The switch to digital television will free up wireless airwaves for public safety agencies and other advanced mobile services.



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Senate Passes Second Bill Changing DTV Transition Date

Bill expected to be sent to the House for consideration under regular rules

John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/29/2009

An aide to Senator Jay Rockefeller confirms that the Senate has once again passed a bill changing the DTV transition date from Feb. 17 to June 12.

The bill, which again passed by unanimous consent--no Senator objected--contains a couple of fixes made in the House to language pertaining to budget rules and first responder communications.

The bill is expected to be sent to the House for consideration under regular rules. If the House Rules Committee gets the bill Tuesday, the first day it could, it could get to the House floor by Wednesday, Feb. 4, where a simple majority will be sufficient to pass it.

“The Senate has acted quickly and in a bipartisan way to put the needs of consumers first,” said Rockefeller in a statement. “Senator Hutchison’s leadership was critical to getting this bill passed. We addressed the concerns of our colleagues, public safety, broadcasters and most importantly, consumers. The House will have a second chance next week to implement this delay, I am hopeful they will pass this bill so we can send it to President Obama.”

Rockefeller (D-WVA), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has taken the lead on the DTV date move on the Senate side, including getting the backing of the Obama administration for his version of the bill, though it became a compromise bill with Senate Republicans, led by ranking committee member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), who added a number of elements.

Those included language meant to help first responders get access to reclaimed TV spectrum as quickly as possible and to unclog the DTV converter-box coupon program. Those changes made it much more like the House version authored by Henry Waxman (D-CA), chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee. Initially, Rockefeller’s bill only changed the date, which is what he thought would be the easiest bill to get passed.

"I do want to serve notice that I will not support another delay in implementation," said Senator Hutchison Thursday. "By now, people, have had the notice and we’ve done everything to mitigate the cost of this transition. I’ve talked with Senator Rockefeller about that and I think we are in agreement that now is the time for people to get their coupons and boxes because on June 12 this transition will be made.”

Following are the key elements of the bill, according to Rockefeller’s office:

--Provides Consumer, Broadcasters and Governments time to prepare – In order to better educate consumers about the transition, and to provide consumers with ample opportunity to utilize the converter-box coupon program, the digital transition will shift from February 17, 2009 to June 12, 2009. Despite high awareness of the DTV switch, a recent --Consumer Report survey found that among Americans aware of the transition, 63% had major misconceptions about what steps they need to take to prepare.

--Permits Broadcasters to Continue with Transition Efforts – The bill reaffirms existing law to permit over-the-air broadcast television stations to voluntarily switch from analog to digital service before June 12, 2009.

--Improves First-Responder Communication -- In the event a broadcast station switches early to digital service, public safety organizations may start using the vacated spectrum.

--Provides Relief to Consumers -- Consumers holding expired coupons they were unable to redeem because of natural disaster, retail or mail issues will be able to apply for replacement coupons.


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Copps: 61% Of Stations Could DTV Transition Earlier Than June 12

Switch Would Come Without Interference To Other Stations

John Eggerton -- Multichannel News, 2/3/2009

The FCC says 61% of TV stations (1,089) should be able to turn off their analog signal before June 12 if they choose to without causing interference to other stations, and that "most" of the remaining 700 or so stations "may" also be able to to so.

Those are those views espoused in a letter by acting FCC chairman Michael Copps to Energy & Commerce Committee ranking member Joe Barton (R-Tex.) and Internet & Telecommunications Subcommittee ranking member Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.). The congressman are concerned about how many stations would be able to make the transition before the June 12 date most now believe will become the new DTV "hard" date.

The 61% are already operating on their post-transition DTV channel, so it would simply be a case of turning off the analog, according to the letter.

The others would have to either turn off analog and operate on their temporary digital signal until the June 12 date, or could move from theirs temporary to their permanent DTV channel, but in the latter case the FCC would have to do a case-by-case ananlysis to see if it would cause interference to any other DTV channels.

Copps pointed out in the letter that all these answers had to do with the signal the stations were putting out and "says nothing about consumers ability to receive those stations."

In the letter, Copps also told Barton and Stearns that, as of Feb. 2, the FCC had received or granted requests form 143 stations that have already turned off analog, and that an additional 60 had said they were going to do so before Feb. 17.

In addition, he said, 276 had indicated, even though they were not required to, that they would be ending analog on Feb. 17, though he pointed out some of those could change their minds if the analog cut-off date is extended.

It is not exactly clear how the FCC will handle early notification if the DTV hard date changes. It currently requires stations to let viewers know 30 days in advance if they are cutting off analog early. The bill that passed the Senate and is expected to be passed in the House allows stations to switch before June 12 if they choose, but the FCC may have to revisit the notification issue in its implementation of the bill fo stations that decide to make the switch early now, but haven't informed the FCC yet, for the obvious reason that they didn't know what the date was going to be.

Copps closed the letter by putting in his plug for a "short delay" and appended a chart of the post-transition operating status of all full-power TV stations now operating on their post-transition channels, which are the ones that are good to go.

Barton and Stearns both oppose moving the date, saying it is unnecessary.

Republicans are also privately wondering whether if 60% of the stations can go early, if moving the date will send many viewers the wrong signal that they have more time than they do.

"Passing the DTV delay bill means we're about to start telling viewers that they've got until summer to get ready for the switch to digital, but oops, nobody's mentioning that 60 percent of the TV stations can make the switch starting Feb. 17 without interfering with other stations," said Deputy Republican staff director Larry Neal.

"If they do, surprise, TVs will stop working! Nobody understands why the Democrats are so determined to fix something that isn't broken," Neal continued, "but the more you look at what they're doing, the more you understand that the repair job makes things worse instead of better.

"It's like getting Roto-Rooter to come out and clog your kitchen sink. Now, nothing stops people from just going to the store and getting a converter box, but they can't count on getting a government coupon because the Democratic DTV delay bill doesn't provide any more money for coupons. The Barton bill does, but evidently it isn't even going to be eligible for a vote."


http://www.multichannel.com/article/...an_June_12.php


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DTV Bill To Be Considered Under Closed Rule

Expected to be debated on House floor Wednesday afternoon

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable -- Multichannel News, 2/3/2009

There will be one hour of debate, evenly divided among Democrats and Republicans, and no floor amendments when the House considers the bill to move the DTV date from Feb. 17 to June 12,

That was the decision of the House Rules Committee, essentially granting the ground rules proposed by House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA), who had asked the bill be brought up under the so-called “closed rule,” which prevents the proposal of and votes on amendments that could greatly slow the process.

By a vote of 7 to 2, the committee defeated an amendment that would have attempted to clear the DTV-to-analog converter box coupon waiting list without moving the date. The amendment, the handiwork of ranking Energy & Commerce Republican and date-change opponent Joe Barton (R-TX), would have freed up $250 million for coupons by making an accounting change.

The committee also defeated by the same margin an amendment, offered by Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), a former broadaster, which would have prohibited the FCC from preventing a broadcaster from transitioning early so long as "they will not cause unacceptable interference with public safety or other broadcast stations, and the station has given viewers notice in the 30 days."

The bill actually already allows stations to transition early, but does make that subject to an FCC decision that it is OK to do so.

It is expected to be debated on the House floor Wednesday afternoon, with the kids health insurance bill likely debated in the morning.


http://www.multichannel.com/article/...losed_Rule.php


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House Approves DTV Delay Legislation

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 2/4/2009

Washington — The House of Representatives approved legislation Wednesday, 264-158, to approve a delay of the analog cutoff date 115 days to June 12, 2009.


The measure, which was identical to a bill passed unanimously by the Senate for a second time, will now be sent to President Obama, who is expected to sign it into law.


House Republicans, who had voted down the delay last week under a rules suspension that required a two-thirds majority vote, failed to win a procedural change that would have opened the bill to amendments.


The House Rules Committee granted ground rules proposed by House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who had asked the bill be brought up under the so-called “closed rule,” which prevented the proposal of and votes on amendments that could slow down the process.


Rep. Joe Barton, (R-Texas) pointed out repeatedly that the delay measure had never been given an opportunity for mark-up discussion in the House Energy & Commerce Committee. He said Republicans had prepared six amendments that would have made the delay better, including clearing up to $250 million of already allocated funds to clear up a waiting list for converter-box coupons.


The funds would have come from the $1.3 billion National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) coupon budget that has been tied up since December, when the program ran out of money to issue additional coupons. Under rules, the NTIA cannot issue new coupons until funds have cleared from the expiration of coupons in the field after 90 days.


Barton had sought to clear a waiting list for coupons by freeing up $250 million for coupons.


Prior to the vote discussion, Waxman and House Telecommunications & Internet Chairman Rick Boucher (D-Va.) updated figures on the number of households in each congressional district that are on a waiting list for DTV-to-analog converter-box coupons.


Democrats pointed to Nielsen estimates for January, showing some 6.5 million people who receive television only via terrestrial analog signals were still not prepared for the transition date with 13 days remaining until the previously established cutoff date.


Boucher argued that even if the funds for converter-box coupons were in hand today, there wouldn’t be sufficient time to get impacted people ready to receive digital broadcasts.


Boucher and Waxman also indicated in a letter to House members prior to the vote reaching the floor that another 200,000 households had been added to the coupon waiting list, raising the number to 1.8 million overall.


Barton also sought unsuccessfully to establish an amendment that would have enabled the Federal Communications Commission to take back on or before Feb.17 analog frequencies from TV broadcasters whose analog stations sit on frequencies that have been allocated to new broadband communications for emergency first responders.


During the floor debate, Rep. Darrell Issa, (R-Calif.) also questioned the motives of advisors to President Obama on the DTV transition question. Issa said that one of the president’s advisors was associated with Clearwire, a wireless communications company that will benefit in a delay in analog spectrum being turned over to competitors who have purchased that spectrum at auction.


In addition to changing the analog cutoff date, the delay in the all-digital TV broadcasting measure allows broadcasters to end their analog transmissions on the previous Feb. 17 deadline. The bill also allows TV households to reapply for expired coupons using $650 million currently in the economic stimulus package to fund the new coupons. Some of the money will also be used for additional education and outreach.


The measure also contributes more resources to DTV education and outreach efforts, including improving and expanding call centers that will handle consumer questions and problems during the transition process.

White House Won't Sign DTV Delay Bill Until At Least Monday

Obama Administration Giving Public Five Days For Comment

John Eggerton -- Multichannel News, 2/6/2009

It looks as if the White House won't be signing the digital TV transition date change bill into law until at least Monday, the same day broadcasters must let the FCC know if they want to pull the plug on analog Feb. 17. That's now the early time frame, for the transition the government has been telling them was the drop-dead date for years.
President Barack Obama, as part of his pledge of openness and transparency, said he would give the public five days to comment on bills before he signed them.

The text of the DTV delay bill has been posted on the White House Web site along with a comment form.

Broadcasters may make the transition on Feb. 17, but bill co-author Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has asked broadcasters to "put consumers first." The FCC is doing more than ask. Broadcasters must request to make the move by Feb. 9, but the FCC can deny the request if it doesn't think it is in the public interest, say, if all the stations in a market with high analog-only penetration want to go on Feb. 17.

The big problem is that the converter box coupon program slowdown, which prompted the Obama administration's request to move the date, may not be unstuck until March or April, so, the more stations that go Feb. 17, the more the bill's effect is weakened.



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Obama Signs DTV-Delay Bill

President Barack Obama has signed the bill extending the DTV date from Feb. 17 to June 12.

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/11/2009

President Barack Obama has signed the bill extending the DTV date from Feb. 17 to June 12.

His transition team had called for the date to be moved, and the bill was passed a week ago. But the president had pledged to put bills out for a five-day public comment period, which he did with this bill.

"During these challenging economic times, the needs of American consumers are a top priority of my administration," the president said Wednesday.

"This law, which was crafted in a bipartisan way and passed overwhelmingly in the House and Senate, ensures that our citizens will have more time to prepare for the conversion."

"Millions of Americans, including those in our most vulnerable communities, would have been left in the dark if the conversion had gone on as planned, and this solution is an important step forward as we work to get the nation ready for digital TV. My administration will continue to work with leaders in Congress, broadcasters, consumer groups and the telecommunications industry to improve the information and assistance available to our citizens in advance of June 12.”



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421 Stations Pulling Analog Signals Tonight

John Eggerton -- Multichannel News, 2/16/2009

The FCC released its latest digital TV transition figures Monday and 421 stations will terminate their analog signals as of midnight Feb. 17. That's in addition to the 220 that have already cut their analog signals off or will today.

All told, 641 stations -- 36% of the country -- will have made the switch by the original hard date, according to the FCC data.

Congress moved the date to June 12 at the urging of the then Obama transition team. The president signed the measure into law last Wednesday.

The FCC says it has sent staffers to the 72 markets with higher analog penetration, where they expect the impact from tomorrow's shut-off to be the greatest. The FCC has also boosted its call center staffing for its DTV help line, 1-888-CALLFCC.

The commission has a new DTV reception map at http://www.dtv.gov/fixreception.html to help viewers figure out what kind of DTV reception they should be getting.

"This is not just about whether people can watch their favorite reality show," said acting FCC chairman Michael Copps. "It's about whether consumers have access to vital emergency alerts, weather, news and public affairs."

Over the weekend, the FCC identified 106 stations that had sought to pull the plug on analog Feb. 17 in markets where all the network affiliates wanted to do so.

Forty three of those decided to delay, while the rest agreed to an enhanced analog nightlight. Under that set-up, at least one of the stations in the market would keep an analog signal on for another 60 days with news and public affairs, DTV transition info and, potentially, emergency information.

There were also 10 stations that identified themselves as hardship cases and needed to pull the plug on Feb. 17 in a problematic market; the FCC granted all 10 requests.

The FCC also said over the weekend that it would be less strict about letting stations that had indicated they were switching Feb. 17 to change their decisions and stay on.

Even so, only a half-dozen -- mostly educational stations -- took the commission up on its offer, according to an FCC spokesperson