[Just when you thought the digital transition couldn't get any more confusing, we have this from Mr. Copps. If you would like to see a list of all TV stations by city & their transition status see http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-221A5.pdf ]
FEBRUARY 12, 2009, 12:04 A.M. ET FCC Chairman Warns Agency May Bar Some Early TV Shifts By FAWN JOHNSON Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123441446690676397.html WASHINGTON -- Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairman Michael Copps on Wednesday warned that some TV stations could be barred from converting to all-digital broadcasting next week. "There will be, perhaps, some prohibitions as we go along over the next few days, conditions," Mr. Copps said. Nearly 500 stations asked the FCC for permission Monday night to shut down their older analog signals on Tuesday of next week, the original date of a mandatory digital TV switch. An additional 190 local stations have permission to switch early or have done so already. Congress approved delaying the mandatory switch to digital-only television to June 12, but local stations can ask to transition earlier. Many want to do so, hoping to save the thousands of dollars it would cost to continue broadcasting in both analog and digital formats for a few more months. The FCC is required to review TV stations' requests to convert to digital format before June. Mr. Copps said the commission will be looking for "vulnerable markets" -- areas with high minority or non-English-speaking populations or places where all local stations want to make the digital conversion at the same time. Switching Off Analog "In those situations, they're going to have to have truly compelling reasons for going ahead and clear evidence that they don't really have viable options," Mr. Copps said. Once TV stations turn off their analog broadcasts, people who rely on over-the-air TV won't receive signals unless they buy a digital television set or a converter box, or subscribe to a cable or satellite-TV service. For stations that want to transition early, the FCC will take into consideration other ways they can accommodate their over-the-air viewers. Stations could offer limited analog programming, such as local news, and extend their outreach to people who may have difficulty figuring out how to handle the transition. ================================================= George Antunes Voice (713) 743-3923 Associate Professor Fax (713) 743-3927 Political Science Internet: antunes at uh dot edu University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-3011 *********************************** * POST TO [email protected] * *********************************** Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
