DTV Delay Bill Fails in House

February 4, 2009

By Mike Peters

The original legislation to delay the DTV translation to June 12, drafted by Senate Commerce Committee chairman John D. Rockefeller, IV, has been voted down in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill was drafted in response to the concerns of members of Congress, FCC commissioners, and President Obama that millions of U.S. households will not be ready for the February 17 transition from analog to digital television.

Senator Rockefeller Disappointed at Failure of DTV Delay Bill

Senator Rockefeller (D-West Virginia) expressed disappointment in what he saw as an effort by Republicans to block the DTV transition delay. In a statement, Rockefeller said, “Instead of delaying the transition to ensure that the most vulnerable among us have the ability to prepare for the transition, they have made certain that far too many consumers across the country will wake up on February 18 and find that their television sets have gone dark and access to news, information, and vital emergency alerts will be unavailable. It did not have to be this way; this situation was unnecessary and avoidable.”

Senators Rockefeller and Hutchison Pen Amended DTV Delay Bill

Following the defeat of the measure in the House vote, Senator Rockefeller and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) worked together on an amended DTV delay bill which incorporates suggestions made by House members. The primary change in the new bill allows television stations to decide when they will make the transition. If ready to switch to all-digital broadcasts, they will not be forced to wait until the new proposed deadline of June 12 but may do so at their discretion anytime after the original deadline of February 17.