DTV Bill Gets New Life with Oct. 26 Reconciliation Deadline

Senate leadership set Oct. 26 as the new deadline for budget reconciliation, which puts DTV legislation back on track for consideration while giving lawmakers time to deal with funding for Hurricane Katrina. Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. Stevens told reporters Tues. he plans to meet with members the next day or 2 to brief them on DTV matters. In the House, Commerce Committee Chmn. Barton is still working on his bill. Sources said progress is being made on controversial provisions. The anticipated $10 billion proceeds from auctioning analog spectrum is an important revenue consideration for the reconciliation package. Under budget resolution instructions, the Senate Commerce Committee must raise $4.8 billion and the House Commerce Committee must cut -- or raise -- $14.7 billion, much of which is expected to come from cuts in Medicaid program growth (CD July 8 p1). The House and Senate reconciliation bills will include DTV provisions that will be submitted separately to the Senate Budget Committee and worked out in conference. The House has taken the lead on DTV and is making progress on divisive provisions. One sticking point that may be getting resolved is the amount of the subsidy to allocate for converter boxes to allow consumers with analog TVs to receive digital signals. Apparently, Republicans and Democrats are nearing a compromise on the subsidy: $800 million total, $40 vouchers for consumers who buy convertors boxes.
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