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Home > FCC Chairman Opposes Postponing DTV Transition Date
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FCC Chairman Opposes Postponing DTV Transition Date

January 16, 2009

By Mike Peters

President-elect Barack Obama's transition team has requested that Congress delay the February 17 DTV transition deadline. The transition will end analog television airwaves in favor of all-digital broadcasting. The request follows the announcement that the Commerce Department has run out of funds designated to provide DTV converter box coupons to the public. The coupons help consumers with the cost of purchasing the necessary digital-to-analog converter boxes that will enable them to continue receiving programs on their analog TV sets.

The viewers most at-risk to lose their television reception when the federally-mandated transition takes place are those who depend on set-top ("rabbit ears") or roof-top antennas to receive their signals. Those viewers who have cable, satellite, or other pay television providers should not be affected by the change.

In response to the President-elect's request, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin expressed concerns, citing the possibility of confusing consumers by delaying the original deadline. He stated that the February 17 transition date is being prepared for by the entire broadcasting industry. It has also been the subject of a large-scale advertising campaign and nationwide town-hall meetings taking place to inform and assist the public in preparing for the cut-off. While conceding that the program has problems, Martin suggested that instead of delaying the DTV transition date, the government could make the coupons available again by eliminating the 90-day expiration date on them, or by making additional funding available to the Commerce Department.

FCC commissioner, Jonathan Adelstein, supported the delay. While speaking at the International Consumer Electronics Show about the FCC DTV transition program, Adelstein said, "This program has been badly mismanaged. It's not ready for prime time. There are so many elements of the preparation that have not been undertaken. We don't have programs in place in the field to help people who need assistance in their homes. The phone banks are inadequately prepared."