Rockefeller Backs June 12 DTV Switch
Commerce Committee Chairman Introduces Bill to Delay Switch for Four Months
By Ted Hearn -- Multichannel News, 1/15/2009 12:02:00 PM
Washington—Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, is sponsoring legislation that would delay the digital television transition until Friday, June 12, 2009.
“The outgoing Bush Administration has mismanaged this initiative and President-elect Obama has asked Congress to delay the date of the transition. Over two million Americans are waiting to receive a coupon to help them offset the cost of equipment that will help them manage the transition—millions more don’t have the proper information they need,” Rockefeller said in a statement.
Rockefeller said he introduced the bill Thursday.
It would call off the Feb. 17 transition date signed into law by President Bush in February 2006.
“It did not have to be this way. I firmly believe that our nation is not yet ready to make this transition,” Rockefeller said.
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It doesn't matter when the transition takes place,some people are not going to be ready.Postponing it will just cause doubt and confusion.After a year's worth of psas,if people don't know what's going on,they won't know a year from now.Go ahead and switch in February and solve the problems as they come up.
Lloyd Pritchett - 1/16/2009 10:01:55 AM EST -
The bill should also reimburse stations who didn't anticipate the electric bill for keeping both a digital and analog signal running for an additional 4 months when planning the budget for the year. I know many station managers who needed this to happen ASAP because paying for two (or more) high powered UHF transmitters was really eating into their budget for the past 7+ years.
anon2 - 1/15/2009 8:22:00 PM EST -
The bill should also reimburse stations who spent all this money marketing the February 17th date, including billboards, transit ads, newspaper ads, so they can create new PSA's and ad campaigns.
anon - 1/15/2009 8:16:00 PM EST
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