Rocky II: Stations Can Go DTV Before June 12
Rockefeller Circulates New Draft Legislation That Senate Is Expected To Take Up Next Week
Ted Hearn -- Multichannel News, 1/23/2009 10:56:14 AM
Washington -- Senate Commerce Committee chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) circulated draft legislation Thursday that would allow TV stations to cut off analog signals before June 12, the bill's proposed new deadline for ending analog TV service nationally.
The bill was Rockefeller's second attempt at gaining broad support in the Senate for postponing the Feb. 17 analog TV cutoff date in current law. Senate Commerce Committee chairman ranking Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas is cosponsor the bill.
The Senate is expected to take up the bill, called the DTV Delay Act, next week, Rockefeller said in a statement.
"Let me be clear. This legislation is not perfect. But it represents a turning point, a start," he said.
Rockefeller also said he couldn't guarantee there would be only one delay if his bill became law.
"If we are able to make substantial progress on the administration of the transition, this should be the last delay we have to seek. Barring unforeseen emergencies, we should not have another delay," he said.
Rockefeller began work on the bill a few weeks ago at the request of the incoming Obama administration, which fears millions of American are unprepared for a digital-only broadcast TV environment in a just a few weeks.
In his statement, Rockefeller said a delay was necessary because "it is no secret that the outgoing Administration grossly mismanaged the digital television transition."
Rockefeller's bill would also allow public safety organizations to use spectrum that had been vacated by analog TV stations prior to June 12.
That provision was an effort to address concerns raised last week by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who said he could support a 115-day delay if police, fire and emergency crews could access old analog TV spectrum as early as Feb. 18.
In response to consumer complaints, Rockefeller's bill would allow the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to re-issue DTV converter box coupons to households that failed to use their original ones before the 90-day expiration period.
Each coupon has a $40 value and can be used to defray the retail price of digital-to-analog converter boxes, which attach to old analog TV sets that rely on an antenna for broadcast reception. Households are limited to two coupons.
NTIA has a waiting list for 2.5 million coupons. Rockefeller's bill would not change a budget law to allow NTIA to clear out the backlog immediately. However, the House's $825 billion stimulus package, part of which was approved Thursday by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, contains $650 million for NTIA's coupon program.
Rockefeller tried to pass his first DTV delay bill last Friday but he was blocked by unnamed Senate Republicans.
"I warn those who would stand in the way, who dismiss my sense of urgency, that should they force us to keep to our current course, it is the American public who will bear the brunt of their opposition," Rockefeller said.
DTV Delay Gains Ground
01/23/2009Rockefeller Pushing For DTV Vote
01/21/2009Senate Agrees To Move DTV Transition Date
01/26/2009Waxman Supports June 12 DTV Delay
01/15/2009Rockefeller Working DTV Delay Bill
01/13/2009
