DTV Deadline: 2/17/09
By Ted Hearn -- Multichannel News, 2/1/2006 1:39:00 PM
Mark your calendars, America: Over-the-air analog TV is scheduled to die Feb. 17, 2009.
As a result of legislation passed by the House Wednesday, millions of analog TVs not connected to cable- or satellite-TV service will be useless after Feb. 17, 2009, unless owners acquire analog-to-digital converters for each one.
Cable operators, such as Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable, are planning to provide analog and digital feeds of local TV broadcasters -- a step that will allow subscribers to abandon their analog-TV sets on their own schedule.
The legislation does contain one snag for cable: After the over-the-air analog cutoff, it won't allow cable systems to downconvert to analog the digital signals of TV stations that have elected mandatory cable carriage. But MSOs and stations have a few years left to craft private agreements.
Direct-broadcast satellite was all-digital from inception, which means the Feb. 17, 2009, deadline will be a nonevent for DBS subscribers who have all of their analog TVs hooked up to one of the major carriers, DirecTV Inc. or EchoStar Communications Corp.’s Dish Network.
Last year, the Government Accountability Office estimated that about 20 million U.S. TV households rely exclusively on free, over-the-air broadcasting. The National Association of Broadcasters said those 20 million homes have about 45 million analog-TV sets that are scheduled to go dark in 2009 under the legislation.
To address a potential consumer backlash, Congress included up to $1.5 billion to subsidize digital-to-analog converter boxes. But House Democrats are concerned that the $1.5 billion will not meet demand.
The House approved the bill, 216-214, late Wednesday afternoon. Because the Senate passed the same bill just before Christmas, the measure goes to the White House for President Bush's signature.
Bush is expected to sign the digital-TV measure because it was included in a budget package intended to save $38.8 billion over the next five fiscal years.
After the digital-TV transition, Congress is hoping to collect at least $10 billion from the auction of recovered analog-TV spectrum. Some of the airwaves will be given to police and fire squads around the country for improved wireless communications. The blue-ribbon panel that examined the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks recommended new spectrum for first responders.
Fun Fact
11/08/2007Digital Deadline Set: 2/17/09
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