FCC Initiates Third Review of DTV Transition

FCC INITIATES THIRD REVIEW OF DTV TRANSITION
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
On April 25, the FCC adopted its third periodic review of the conversion of the nation's broadcast television system from analog to digital television ("DTV"). The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, released May 18, proposes the following actions, among others, to facilitate the transition for full-power television stations: 1) Restrict the grant of future extensions of time to construct digital facilities; 2) Offer expedited processing to stations applying for a construction permit for their post-transition channel based on the new DTV Table of Allotments; 3) Examine the circumstances in which stations may reduce or terminate analog service to facilitate construction of post-transition facilities; 4) Permit stations that have different pre-transition and post-transition channels to devote their resources to building their post-transition channel; 5) Require stations by December 1st, 2007 to file a form with the Commission detailing the current status of the station's digital transition, the additional steps the station must take before the transition deadline, and a plan for how the station intends to meet the deadline; and 6) Establish February 17, 2009 as the construction deadline for stations with new channel allotments in the upcoming new DTV Table of Allotments.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-272655A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-70A1.doc