FCC's McDowell: Digital TV switch will be "messy"

In a naked attempt to be named King of the Understatement, Federal Communications Commission member Robert McDowell said, "The transition [to digital TV] will be messy ... but we will get through it." He urged broadcasters to step up local efforts to educate the public, saying broadcasters have the most to lose if viewers' screens fade to black when analog signals are turned off. Despite a wide-ranging education campaign by the government and broadcasters, consumers are likely to face glitches, Commissioner McDowell said.He surprised reporters Tuesday with the news that the five commissioners had met last week to discuss their lessons learned from the Wilmington early DTV switch and their respective visits to markets with high analog TV viewership. It was the first such collective meeting of the five commissioners outside the monthly public meetings in McDowell's tenure, he said. Sunshine rules prevent three or more commissioners from meeting outside of public forums to discuss matters before the commission, but apparently they can get together to talk about process, and Commissioner McDowell said there was a staffer from the general counsel's office to monitor the get-together.