Congress Approves DTV Transition Delay

February 10, 2009

By Mike Peters

The amended bill calling for a delay in the February 17 DTV transition deadline has passed in the House of Representatives. The bill was approved by the Senate last week. When President Obama signs the legislation, consumers will have until June 12 to prepare for the transition from analog to digital television.

House Approval of DTV Transition Delay Bill Ends Weeks of Debate

The original DTV transition bill passed in the Senate, but was blocked by House Republicans who cited concerns that delaying the DTV switch would confuse consumers and add costs to television stations. Following the House voting down the first bill, Senate Commerce Committee chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-West Virginia) and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) worked together on the amended version that was approved by both the Senate and the House.

The notable change in the amended DTV transition delay bill is that television stations across the country who are ready for the original deadline will be allowed to switch anytime they choose from February 17 to June 12.

Broadcasting Industry and Consumers Have More Time to Prepare for DTV Transition

The DTV transition delay bill was written in response to the concerns by many --- including members of Congress, FCC commissioners, and President Obama - that millions of elderly, rural, minority, and disabled consumers are not prepared for the transition and could lose their television signals completely when the transition goes into effect. A recent Nielsen report estimated that 6.5 million households are not ready to receive digital broadcasting. Generally, at-risk consumers have older analog TV sets and do not subscribe to cable or satellite TV. These consumers will have to subscribe to a provider, purchase a newer digital TV, or purchase a converter box.

FCC Acting Chairman Supports DTV Transition Delay

Following approval of the DTV transition delay bill, acting FCC chairman Michael Copps said in a statement, "The country is not prepared to undertake a nationwide transition on February 17 without unacceptably high consumer dislocation. We've got a lot of work to do, but we now have an opportunity to do it better."