2009 DTV Date Assailed

Former Deputy Director of Homeland Security Asa Hutchison Wednesday called on Congress to move up the hard date for the return of broadcasters' analog spectrum to early 2008 from the anticipated 2009 hard date. In a commentary in the Washington Times, Hutchison also said the problem of emergency communications was not primarily one of bandwidth, but instead of '"inadequate radios and other devices." FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has suggested that so-called "smart radios," which seek out unused frequencies, might help with that problem. Sen John McCain (R-AZ) has been pushing for an earlier return of TV spectrum, but the Congressional Budget Office found that the further back the date goes, the more valuable the spectrum becomes and the more money will go to the U.S. Treasury. Congress will need that money to make sure that analog viewers are not left with snow when the DTV switch is pulled. That, too, could be a communications problems in emergencies, not to mention an issue at the polls when legislators try to get re-elected.
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