Rep. Dingell Tells Broadcasters DTV Transition May Be Delayed

REP DINGELL TELLS BROADCASTERS DTV TRANSITION MAY BE DELAYED
[SOURCE: Technology Daily 2/27, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
House Commerce Chairman John Dingell (D-MI) stunned the broadcast industry by suggesting that the nation's switch to digital television -- set to occur on Feb. 17, 2009 -- may be postponed. "We have to fix a date that, first of all, makes sense," he told journalists following a speech to the National Association of Broadcasters. "Second of all," the government must ensure that other initiatives are on track for the deadline to be met, he said. "There are some questions about both, and I don't have [for] you an answer at this particular time," Chairman Dingell told reporters. "But this is one of the things that the committee will be looking at." Scrapping the deadline would have repercussions for consumers, electronics manufacturers and television outlets that have based their business plans on being able to offer multiple digital signals -- up to six per station. A delayed deadline would be a disincentive for many consumers to purchase new high-definition sets, a broadcast source said privately. It also would affect the auctioning of spectrum to be returned by TV stations and the allocation of some of those frequencies for public-safety purposes.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-ECAY1172688205681.html

* Why Digital TV Will Be Delayed
[Commentary] Congress will push back the 2009 deadline when it realizes that millions of voters might lose their TV signals.
http://www.tvpredictions.com/dtvdelay022807.htm