Where exactly are you quoting your numbers from: This is what most of us have heard:
From the ACA newsletter of November 2, 2005:
Draft Legislation Sets Hard Date for DTV Transition
Under draft legislation released by the Senate Commerce Committee earlier this month, analog television reception would go dark on April 7, 2009. After this date, every television viewer would have to have a digital television, a set-top converter or be a customer of cable to receive the signal. Cable companies would be able to down-convert the digital signal to analog to supply it to customers with analog television sets.
In addition, the bill sets January 28, 2008 as the start date to auction off spectrum recovered from television broadcasters. Three million dollars of the proceeds from that auction are earmarked to fund an analog converter box subsidy program which will provide viewers with a $10 co-pay for a converter box.
The Senate bill also allocates $830 million for a digital converter box subsidy in the form of two $40 redeemable coupons per household to be allocated before the spectrum auctions begins. However, these coupons will be available on a first come, first serve basis; that is, once the $830 million is exhausted, there will be no more funding available.
In addition, the bill mandates that broadcasters offer several PSAs throughout 2008 to inform viewers that their analog sets will go dark after December 31, 2008 without the proper equipment.
The Senate draft legislation does not discuss must-carry or multicast must-carry. However, the House Energy and Commerce Committee released its own version of DTV draft legislation on October 21, which sets a hard date of December 31, 2008. ACA was successful in lobbying the House to not require dual carriage of the standard definition version of a must-carry broadcast signal, as well as analog, in systems that have 550 MHz of bandwidth or less.
ACA will continue to monitor this legislation and will provide members with more information as it is available.
Re: Congress to spend 3 billion on Digital TV for
Member #: 1596
Registered: 1996-2001
Posted:
46
Name:
Bruce Chilsted
Name:
Bruce Chilsted
Company:
Verizon
Occupation:
Manager
Location:
Illinois
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