NAB Gears Up to head Off DTV Mandates

NAB GEARS UP TO HEAD OFF DTV MANDATES
[SOURCE: tvnewsday, AUTHOR: Kim McAvoy]
National Association of Broadcasters President David Rehr cut short his visit with the Kansas Association of Broadcasters and returned to Washington hoping to meet with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin this week. Rehr and broadcasters want to make their case against a government-mandated PSA campaign to inform the public about the DTV transition. The NAB had hoped that its voluntary awareness campaign would discourage Congress and the FCC from mandating one. “The notion of the federal government directing broadcasters to deliver a specific message at a specific time raises fundamental concerns about the regulatory process,” says broadcast lawyer Wade Hargrove. “It would set a troubling precedent,” he says, of actually making broadcasters perform a public service in return for their spectrum licenses [OK, yes, I embellish] “We think our DTV plan would be superior to some sort of mandated proposal by the government because it allows flexibility,” says NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton. “There will be PSAs in prime time. Stations ought to be given a little bit of leeway in determining what works best for their stations in their particular market.” he says.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/10/24/daily.2/