Rockefeller Urges TV Stations To 'Put Consumers First'

Sen Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) is encouraging broadcasters not to rush en masse to pull the plug on analog before June 12: "While broadcasters are still permitted to move forward on February 17, and some will do so, I hope that many will think of the needs of their customers and carefully weigh their options. This bill gives them an opportunity to stay the course through to June 12 until more help can be put in place." One of the Republican's arguments against moving the date was that, according to acting Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Copps, a majority of stations 61%, would probably move early. However, what Chairman Copps said was that 61%, or a little over a thousand stations, could move without causing interference, not that all those stations would move. Still, several hundred stations have already moved or indicated they would before or by Feb. 17, though the FCC points out some of those may decide not to now that the date has changed.