Mark Your Calendars for February 17, 2009
Jul 26, 2007
There's been a lot of buzz surrounding what rules the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to use for auctioning off the 700 MHz spectrum (expect to hear even more July 31 when the FCC holds an open meeting). But the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing today to talk about another aspect of the digital TV transition: preparing consumers for the switch from analog to digital that goes into effect February 17, 2009.
We listened in on the hearing this morning, which included testimony from assistant secretary John Kneuer of the National Telecommunications Information Administration and Cathy Seidel of the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. As this Associated Press report outlines, members of the Commerce Committee expressed concern about data suggesting that most Americans aren't aware of the transition date and that efforts to educate them aren't yet sufficient...Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) is quoted as saying there's a "high potential for a train wreck here."
Asst. secretary Kneuer explained how his agency is working to implement the federal government's coupon program that will offer up to two coupons of $40 each for households to purchase converter boxes, and efforts to target underrepresented groups to ensure that they aren't left behind. Ms. Seidel also talked about the labelling program the FCC adopted to ensure that consumers are informed. But questions remain if there's enough money to get the word out.
There's an archive of the Webcast hearing here.
Tags:
700 MHZ spectrum, Digital TV, FCC, Senate
