Lawmakers Back Longer Retrans Quiet Period

Reps Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Nathan Deal (R-GA) weighed in with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin asking for a retransmission-consent quiet period that starts before the end of the year and extends beyond the Feb. 17, 2009, date for the switch to full-power digital TV. They say there is a "significant risk" that "more than a few" stations could be pulled from cable systems in January, given that a bunch of retrans deals expire Dec. 31. There are others expiring Oct. 1, as well.