Barton, Stearns: Early DTV Switches 'All But Impossible'

House Republicans Joe Barton (TX) and Cliff Stearns (FL) have written Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Copps asking for information on how many television stations will actually be able to transition early to all-digital broadcasting if, as appears likely, the House this week follows the Senate's lead and approves a bill to move the DTV transition date to June 12. They believe the FCC's Media Bureau has been "inundated" with requests from broadcasters to make the switch early if the DTV transition date is moved to June 12, and they doubt many of those requests can be accommodated because of interference concerns. That means "most of the spectrum promised to first responders would also be unavailable until the delayed transition date."