DTV Hearings Recap

CONGRESS WANTS MORE ANSWERS ON DTV MOVE
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Dibya Sarkar]
The government so far has done a poor job of educating the public about a 2009 nationwide switch to digital television that could unwittingly leave millions of viewers without programming they currently receive, House lawmakers said Wednesday. At a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, Members of Congress said it's critical for the government to oversee the outreach to minority and rural communities, elderly people and others, who are likely to be more affected by the transition than others. Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA) said in his opening statement that the current government plan relies heavily on the "good graces of industry and the voluntary efforts of committed consumer and community groups to get the job done." But Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said that the agency is devoting significant resources to ensure a smooth transition and has been actively promoting consumer awareness. John Kneuer, administrator of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, said a subsidy program for converter boxes -- that will enable people with TV sets hooked up to an antenna to view digital programming -- is on schedule.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/10/17/daily.12/

* FCC Chairman Martin: "I have circulated a proposal to my colleagues that requires broadcasters to use PSAs and screen crawls throughout the day to inform viewers about the transition and to publicly report on these education efforts on a quarterly basis. The item also requires MVPDs to provide monthly inserts about the DTV transition in their customer billing statements. The item also requires manufacturers of television receivers and related devices to provide notice to consumers of the transition's impact on that equipment. In addition, we require the partners listed on the Commission's www.dtv.gov website to provide the Commission with quarterly updates on their consumer education efforts. Finally, the item states that we will work with the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) to ensure that the retailers participating in the converter box program are appropriately training their employees and informing consumers. I hope and expect that the Commission will be able to adopt this DTV Education Order quickly."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-277414A1.doc

* NTIA Head John Kneuer at House hearing: "NTIA recognizes the risks and potential pitfalls associated with a consumer education campaign of this magnitude; but the solution is not the establishment of a single digital transition authority or single, government-mandated message. Broadcasters, cable and satellite service providers, consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers, and consumer advocates have as important a role to play in educating consumers as any government agency does, and as great an incentive to become involved. A multiplicity of messages and sources of information is critical to a well-informed consuming public. The stakeholders in the transition are in the forefront of the education effort through their individual commitments as well as collaborations like the Digital TV Transition Coalition."
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/congress/2007/Kneuer_HouseCommerce_1017...

* Digital Television Transition: Preliminary Information on Progress of the DTV Transition, by Mark L. Goldstein, director, physical infrastructure, before the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, House Committee on Energy and Commerce. GAO-08-191T, October 17.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-191T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08191thigh.pdf

* Martin Pushes DTV-Education Mandates, Multicast Must-Carry
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin used the House DTV hearing to pitch mandatory cable carriage of broadcasters' multiple digital signals as a particularly effective way of driving DTV adoption. Currently, per FCC policy, cable operators are required only to carry the digital replication of TV stations' primary signals. Chairman Martin said broadcasters should be "able to and encouraged to use their digital spectrum to send multiple television signals to their viewers for free," adding that it could "fundamentally change for the better the course of the digital transition." Rather than pitching the DTV-to-analog converter box as something to prevent viewers from losing TV altogether, he said, there would be a more positive message about watching a wide array of new free programming. "What was a burden becomes a meaningful benefit," he added.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6492176.html?rssid=193

* Martin, NAB At Odds On Primetime PSAs
The NAB has routinely resisted making any specific and concrete promises about running DTV public service announcements in prime time when ad revenue is typically highest. In FCC filings, the NAB has repeatedly urged the agency to eschew any PSA mandates. At press conference Monday, a reporter asked NAB president David Rehr to outline broadcasters’ plan to run primetime PSAs. Rehr took four seconds to respond before backing away from the podium. “We will run ads, we will run DTV actions spots in primetime,” Rehr said. When the reporter sought more details, Rehr added, “We will be running DTV actions spots in prime time, but it will really depend on the market and the needs of the market. It would be premature for me to stand up and say, ‘X number of spots will run in prime time.’” The action spots are 30-second PSAs.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6492406.html?rssid=196

* Subcommittee Chairman Markey's remarks: "It’s as if we have a team of able running backs and receivers running around the field searching for the end zone, but no quarterback running the plays. Indeed, according to the GAO, there is no comprehensive DTV transition plan, no monitoring, and no contingency plan.... It is my firm belief that while NTIA has responsibility for the consumer coupon program, the FCC has primary responsibility for the overall digital transition. Chairman Martin, I think that makes you Tom Brady for our DTV purposes. You are the Nation’s DTV quarterback, and we will be counting on you and the Commission for the leadership to coordinate the various aspects of the transition, which is so important for public safety, economic growth, innovation, consumer welfare, and the future of television itself.
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3150&I...

* House Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-MI): "I urge the FCC to consider an interagency task force to facilitate a smooth transition, similar to the one established to address Y2K. That interagency task force spent nearly two years on its mission, with a clear priority and a sense of urgency to prepare our Nation for any effects brought about by the arrival of the year 2000. We face a shorter timetable for the DTV transition, and I believe the Administration should approach the DTV transition with the same diligence as the previous Administration employed for Y2K."
http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110st101.shtml

* APTS asks Congress to Spend More on DTV
The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) urged Congress to provide a “real, direct investment” in a true grassroots outreach campaign to educate Americans about the transition to digital television. APTS asked Congress to invest at least $25 million in order to make a “real” financial investment in educating the consumers about the cut-off of analog television in February 2009. Since the conversion date is so close, APTS recommended that most of the funds be obligated in this appropriations cycle.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/10/17/daily.13/

* House Companion to Kohl DTV Bill Introduced
Reps. Albert R. Wynn (D-MD) and G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) have introduced the Preparing America's Seniors for the Digital Television Transition Act of 2007, a companion to a Senate bill introduced by Sen Herb Kohl (D-WI). This bicameral legislation would formalize a partnership between the FCC, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Administration on Aging with specific reporting requirements. The purpose of the partnership would be to coordinate with a diverse advisory board of stakeholders—representing broadcasters, aging advocates, disability groups, rural Americans, and state and local governments—to craft a national consumer education campaign targeting older individuals who depend on analog TV. The legislation would establish a grant program to support nonprofits and state and local government agencies, such as area agencies on aging, as they help seniors and other vulnerable populations navigate the transition and the coupon program. The coupon program was created by NTIA to help subsidize the cost of a converter box for analog televisions.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/10/17/daily.5/

* Senate Commerce Leaders Back DTV Task Force
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) said the country may find itself in the midst of a "digital disaster" if the government didn't take various steps to spur the DTV transition and help viewers navigate it. Chairman Inouye and Ranking member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) expressed support for creating a DTV task force along the lines proposed by FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6492401.html?rssid=193

* McSlarrow Stumps for Small Cable Operators
National Cable & Telecommunications Association president Kyle McSlarrow took the opportunity of a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the digital-TV transition to put in a plug for giving small and midsized cable operators an exemption from new cable-TV station-carriage rules.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6492395.html?rssid=193

* Senate Testimony of FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein: "We're sending out weak signals, so the public isn't getting a clear picture. Only the government can play the role of referee to ensure that industry representatives with sometimes conflicting priorities are coordinated to send a clear message that serves all consumers and is not skewed by self-interest. And I hear from many perspectives that our government agencies themselves aren't coordinated.... it's long overdue for the FCC, NTIA and other relevant federal agencies to develop a Federal DTV Task Force. This multi-agency task force would clarify the message and develop benchmarks and a timeline. It would be accountable to Congress. The private sector has established a coordinating mechanism. We should do the same for the Federal government."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-277419A1.doc

* NTIA Head John Kneuer at Senate hearing: "
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/congress/2007/Kneuer_SenateCommerce_101...

* Best Buy Pulls Analog TVs
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Best Buy said Wednesday that it would no longer sell analog-only TVs in its stores and would have digital-TV-to-analog converter boxes on its shelves by early January.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6492326.html?rssid=193

* FCC may require TV spots on change to digital
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&st...

* Martin Outlines State of Transition
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/10/17/daily.6/

* Viewers in the dark on digital switch
"Instead of a digital revolution, we may find ourselves in a digital disaster," said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii).
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-digital18oct18,1,6883...