Rockefeller Working DTV Delay Bill
Democrat Supports Extending Deadline By About 90 Days
By Ted Hearn -- Multichannel News, 1/13/2009 3:13:00 PM
Washington—Senate Commerce Committee chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) spent Tuesday trying to assemble a bill designed to delay the Feb. 17 digital TV transition and provide new funds for the Commerce Department's hobbled converter box coupon program.
"All I know is that Senate staffers are working overtime to try and find the right solutions— all options on the table," a Senate source said Tuesday evening.
Rockefeller supports moving the Feb. 17 deadline, perhaps by about 90 days, to give at-risk groups more time to prepare their television sets for all-digital broadcasting.
Last week, Obama transition team co-chair John Podesta called on Congress to consider postponing the DTV transition deadline, claiming too many poor, elderly and rural Americans would be left behind.
Like Rockefeller, Podesta complained about the Commerce Department's management of the $1.34 billion converter box coupon program.
"It has gone broke," said Tom Wheeler, who is participating in an Obama transition working group responsible for the science, technology, space and arts agencies.
Each household was allowed to request two $40 coupons, which could be used to reduce the cost of $60-$80 converter boxes that prolong the useful life of old analog TV sets.
Wheeler indicated that he recommended delaying the transition to Podesta.
"It came to my desk," he said in a C-SPAN interview.
Actually, the coupon program hasn't run out of money, a point emphasized last week by Rep. Joe Barton (Texas), the most senior Republican on the House, who accused the incoming of Obama administration of panicking for no reason.
Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration has at least $600 million to spend. But a federal budget law won't allow NTIA to mail out new coupons until old ones have expired. That caused NTIA to create a waiting list for at least 1.3 million coupons.
The coupon backlog coming just a few weeks before the transition prompted Rockefeller to say that NTIA had "appallingly mismanaged" the program.
In addition to delaying the DTV transition, Rockefeller is considering whether to waive the budget law, called the Antideficiency Act, to allow NTIA to clear out the waiting list immediately.
Also under consideration: addition funds for the Public Broadcasting Service, which might need money to keep analog and digital transmitters active after Feb. 17.
Rockefeller also has before him a request from public safety organizations to require analog TV stations to shut down on Feb. 17 if they are using channels that Congress has already earmarked for police, fire and emergency crews for a national wireless broadband network that has total interoperability—something sorely lacking on 9/11 at the World Trade Center.
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Stations are paying $10,000-$15,000 a month to broadcast in analog; a delay will penalize them for believing the government and preparing for the deadline day. Also, many have to restrict their digital broadcast power to accomodate analog, again penalizing those who are prepared.
What makes anyone think that those who are terminally confused or mere procrastinators will suddenly "get ready" once a delay in announced? They'll just put it off again. They won't act until their screens go blank.
As for the coupon program: It was stated quite clearly that supplies were limited. Now they're gone. Too bad.
People who need emergency info should buy a $5 battery-powered radio, which will do them more good than a TV set that doesn't work because the power went out. Even people with digital TV sets should have a battery-powered radio. And even people with no TV and no radio will be better served when emergency personnel have the bandwidth they need, which they get only with the digital switch. (Switching only that part of the spectrum won't work--it's all interrelated and would be a nightmare.)
Just make the switch! People will adjust.
Jan S. - 1/14/2009 6:15:00 PM EST -
Right out of the gate, Podesta and Rockefeller are showing their incompetence. Why don't they do their homework first before they start to confuse everyone involved? we're only a month away from the deadline! Politicians shouldn't be allowed to stop something that has been approved several years ago. Where were you Rockefeller? You had the chance to speak up then. Yes, you're right... the government is very bad in doing whatever they touch! I bet Rockefellers' going to ask for billions more to make things worse than it is now. How sad is that!
Robert Smith - 1/14/2009 1:37:00 PM EST -
Do politicians actually think delaying the digital transition by 3 months will cause everyone to get ready?People have been told about it for two years.If it was delayed for three years,some people would still not be ready. Why should anyone believe the government if they say one thing and then change their mind? Go ahead and go digital in February like we have been told,over and over!
Lloyd Pritchett - 1/14/2009 7:59:00 AM EST
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