Mandated DTV switchover delayed?

[pilotbob]

I heard that the senate has approved extending the deadline to June 12th. Does this mean it is extended, or does it still need to go to the house.

I think this extending it is a huge mistake.

So what if some people won't be able to watch TV? The world will not end.

BOb

[HDJerry]

It is the whiners who rule, not those who are prepared.

[Jason]

So who is going to provide a bailout to the broadcasters that have been waiting since about 2006 to stop paying the expenses of running two transmitters? Does Hawaii have to turn their analog transmitters back on now?

We've known of this date for years. Six million people aren't ready. 294 million people are.

Trust me, they'll find another excuse to justify yet another delay.

[Palmateer]

Even the February 2009 date was a delay from a previous deadline. Back in 2004, the feeling was that the date would be sooner than in 2009.

[pilotbob]

We've known of this date for years. Six million people aren't ready. 294 million people are.

Trust me, they'll find another excuse to justify yet another delay.

Truly is there any requirement for them to keep the analog signals on? I know that Hawaii has turned of all analog stuff. Also, I thought I read about some other state or two doing it. I was to say North Carolina?

Someone said on some forum they can't just do it anyway due to frequency moves. But, aren't most of the moves being made moving the stations digital frequency to their analog frequency? If so, I don't see any conflicts there.

BOb

[Bschneider]

I heard that the senate has approved extending the deadline to June 12th. Does this mean it is extended, or does it still need to go to the house.

I think this extending it is a huge mistake.

So what if some people won't be able to watch TV? The world will not end.

BOb

Still need to got to the House.
House to Vote Tuesday on DTV Delay
By Ira Teinowitz, TVWeek, January 26, 2009

Congress could make official a delay in the digital TV transition to June 12 as soon as tomorrow, sending legislation postponing the digital TV transition to President Barack Obama before week’s end.

On Monday night, hours after the Senate unanimously approved delaying the DTV transition from Feb. 17, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., announced he was abandoning plans to craft his own DTV-delay legislation and would instead seek an immediate House floor vote on the Senate bill on Tuesday.

“I am pleased that the Senate has acted to delay the deadline, which is our only hope of mitigating the negative impact on millions of consumers,” Rep. Waxman said. “In light of the Senate action, I will work with the House Democratic leadership to bring up the Senate bill for consideration Tuesday.”

Mr. Waxman’s comments reiterated senators' concerns Monday that Congress needed to act quickly.

“Delaying the upcoming DTV switch is the right thing to do,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., who proposed the delay in the Senate.
“I firmly believe that our nation is not yet ready to make this transition at this time. The Senate acted responsibly to give the Obama administration time to attempt to bring order to a mismanaged process.”

The committee’s ranking Republican, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said while she had serious concerns about shifting the transition without a plan to inform consumers or deal with a shortage of converter-box coupons, the proposed legislation solves those problems.

“These changes will help consumers whose coupons have expired, and allow TV stations that are prepared, and ready, to move forward without the requirement of simulcasting,” she said, adding that Sen. Rockefeller had promised there would be no second delay.

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/01/h...y_on_dtv_d.php (http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/01/house_to_vote_tuesday_on_dtv_d.php)

[pilotbob]

“These changes will help consumers whose coupons have expired, and allow TV stations that are prepared, and ready, to move forward without the requirement of simulcasting,” she said, adding that Sen. Rockefeller had promised there would be no second delay.


This is silly. Aren't ALL TV stations ready to transition? Also, "second delay"... isn't this the fourth or fifth delay now?

BOb

[Harry]

The real fact is that if they are not ready now, they won't be ready in June. Supposedly, 6 million are not ready. In June, 5.5 million won't be ready. Who cares? They have been warned for years. Pull the plug.

Harry

[ramarc]

the Feb date would have FORCED the end of all analog broadcasting. a station can willingly discontinue its analog broadcasts anytime. so, if they want to stick to the existing schedule, they can. and if a household is already dtv ready, the June date means absolutely nothing since they already have digital reception.

[Bschneider]

DTV-Delay Bill Fails To Pass In House
House fails to get needed two-thirds vote
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Washington Bureau Chief, January 28, 2009

Related:

The DTV Countdown - Complete Coverage of the DTV Transition (http://www.broadcastingcable.com/channel/DTV_Countdown.php)

Barton, Stearns Ask Pelosi To Delay DTV Vote (http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/162840-Barton_Stearns_Ask_Pelosi_To_Delay_DTV_Vote.php)

The House Wednesday failed to follow the Senate's lead and pass a DTV date-change bill, putting the move of the DTV transition date in doubt after all the momentum seemed to be moving toward the four-month delay to June 12.

It was also something of a defeat for the Obama administration, which had pushed Congress to move the date, citing the problems in distributing DTV-to-analog converter box coupons and a lack of funding for DTV education. Republicans pushed back hard, saying it was a solution in search of a problem.

The vote was 258 to 168.

A spokesperson for Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) had no immediate comment on what the next move will be, but ranking Republican Joe Barton (R-TX) has a bill that would pump more money into the coupon box program without moving the date.

The Senate had passed a compromise bill Monday by unanimous consent, and Waxman had cancelled a markup on his DTV date change bill to get behind the Senate version.

But while no Republican senator opposed the bill, and Kay Bailey Hutchison, the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, actively supported the compromise bill, the House was an entirely different story.

The House had debated the bill Tuesday night, with a parade of Republicans in opposition and only House Telecommunications & Internet Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher holding down the fort for the bill's proponents.

The Energy & Commerce Committee's ranking member, Joe Barton, was dead set against moving the date, calling it a potential disaster and saying the $650 million being set aside for reissued coupons for millions of people was a pot of money in search of a problem.

It didn't help that Republican leadership put out a policy statement Tuesday saying "House Republicans oppose any further delay in the deadline."

The momentum had appeared to be clearly in favor of the bill's passage.

Certainly the industry seemed to think the die had been cast. The National Association of Broadcasters, the major networks, wireless companies waiting for reclaimed analog TV spectrum, and the principal ad agency and advertiser lobby groups had gotten behind the change, at least publicly. Barton said many in the media still, privately, were arguing against the move.

After debate on the bill Tuesday night, one Washington TV station was already warning viewers on its Tuesday night newscast that the DTV transition it had been telling them was coming Feb. 17 might be delayed by four months.

House leadership had scheduled a Wednesday vote on the bill on suspension, which is the House's version of an expedited vote with limited debate, no amendments, and a 2/3 majority required for approval. The idea was to get the bill passed as fast as possible given that the DTV date is only three weeks away.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/art...s_In_House.php (http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/print/162898-DTV_Delay_Bill_Fails_To_Pass_In_House.php)

[pilotbob]

YEA! I hope it doesn't get delayed!

Just allow people why have expired voucher to rerequest them. Who even says we need more money for it.

Also, I bet these boxes would be ALOT cheaper if there weren't the $40 vouchers. Many places I see sell them for just over $40. I am going to order my two from a place that sells them for $40.01.

BOb

[CANDY76MAN]

Sounds like the House rejected the delay ...lets hope it stays that way.

[tampahank]

I'm with most folks in the fact that I'm glad it's NOT delayed.

This article in the St Pete Times this morning encouraged that feeling even more:

http://www.tampabay.com/features/media/article971044.ece


I hope the Obama administration will alter their plan and perhaps just add more cash to the pool for the DTV converter coupons. I believe the article stated it's only about 60% cash-out rate on the coupons. People have been getting bombarded with info about this change for a LONG time.

(Don't get me wrong -- I'm an ass who got coupons and they expired. I honestly didn't notice the 2 or 3 months expiration date, and came across them after they'd expired. But then again, I wanted to buy a couple for personal/pro-interests to test a couple brands, then planned to hand them off to people who may need them. I have various wires that go into my home that bring me all the Law and Order reruns I need w/o one :) )


hank

[Palmateer]

Thanks to our incompetent politicians, whether the February shutoff is delayed seems to depend on which day it is - is it on or off now?

[Jason]

For the moment, it's on for Feb 17. But expect another vote to get rammed through Congress this week, most likely only requiring a simple majority (50% plus one) instead of the two-thirds that the last one required.

Why do I get the feeling that digital TV will become obsolete before this transition happens?

[tampahank]

For the moment, it's on for Feb 17. But expect another vote to get rammed through Congress this week, most likely only requiring a simple majority (50% plus one) instead of the two-thirds that the last one required.

Why do I get the feeling that digital TV will become obsolete before this transition happens?

Hah!

Funny thing is, if you read that St Pete Times article discussing the costs of delaying this to local stations (especially the WEDU sized ones w/ limited budgets), this could cause people their jobs. Just so people can watch TV. Way to go on stimulating the economy, at that rate!


hank

[Jason]

And it's not like WEDU can go all-digital on their own schedule. Since they are moving digital to 13, they have to wait for WTVT to vacate their analog space. Because of the expense, if their permanent channel opens up on February 17, I wouldn't be surprised if they move, regardless of the official transition date.

Channel 40 in Sarasota also must wait for WTSP to vacate 24, so they can make their permanent move. I'm sure there are others. All of these stations have probably spent a lot of additional time/money to coordinate these channel trades, and I can't see them postponing all of that work.

If the June 12 deadline still allows broadcasters to move earlier, I wouldn't be surprised if the broadcasters set their own schedule. By June 12, I wouldn't expect much analog on the air anyway.