Hill Shout-Outs For DTV

At a House Communications Subcommittee hearing on reauthorization of a satellite compulsory license bill, ranking Republican Cliff Stearns (R-FL) said that the digital television transition had gone smoothly "by most reports." Rep Ed Markey (D-MA) reminded the hearing audience that he had held the first hearing on high-definition TV as then chairman of the subcommittee 22 years earlier, and had no idea it would take that long for the DTV switch. But he said that delaying the hard date had appeared to allow three million more households to be better educated and prepared. Sens Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Frank Lautenberg (D-FL) also said they were pleased with the transition.