Digital TV Transition Affects Telecom Agency's Budget

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration would receive $18 million under the Bush administration's fiscal 2007 budget, versus $40 million in fiscal 2006. But because of the digital television transition, the agency still plans to spend more money next year than this year. On top of its $18 million budget proposal, NTIA plans to spend $45 million in borrowed funds expected to be recouped later from the auction of spectrum in the DTV transition. Under a budget-cutting measure that Congress cleared last week, analog broadcasting will cease Feb. 17, 2009, freeing 60 megahertz of spectrum for auction. Revenue from the auction will be slated in future years to fund various communications priorities and to reduce the deficit. Those frequencies are expected to recoup $12 billion to $29 billion, according to government and industry estimates. But because the auction is not scheduled until January 2008, NTIA must borrow money for aspects of the DTV transition that it aims to accomplish in fiscal 2007. The money will be repaid, without interest, to the Treasury upon availability of auction revenue.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-OOIM1139339306046.html
Also see --
* Getting to February 2009: Implementing the Digital TV Transition
http://www.benton.org/node/1257