The U.S. House of Representatives Friday gave television stations three
years to clear out of their analog spectrum and begin broadcasting
exclusively in digital. Lawmakers have earmarked the vacated spectrum for
first-responder use and wireless broadband providers.
The legislation was attached to the contentious Budget Reconciliation Act
passed by the House in the early-morning hours.
The bill requires all stations to cease analog broadcasting on Dec. 31,
2008, and authorizes $990 million for a digital-to-analog converter box
program for over-the-air viewers.
The subsidies will not come out of
taxpayer dollars but from the estimated $10 billion an auction of the
vacated spectrum is expected to raise.
The U.S. Senate earlier this month set an April 7,
2009, deadline for the broadcasters to go digital along with a $3 billion
set-top box subsidy program.
The House and the Senate are also in disagreement over funding for first-responder equipment to take advantage of their new 24 MHz of spectrum on the
700 MHz band. The return of the broadcasters' analog spectrum for first
responders was a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission.
The House wants to spend $500 million for new first-responder equipment
while the Senate thinks $1.2 billion will be needed. The House contends many
first responders already have radio equipment to communicate over the
spectrum.
Differences between the two bills will be resolved in a joint House-Senate
conference committee.
The legislation approved Friday also obligates broadcasters, cable
operators, retailers and television manufacturers to engage in a consumer
education campaign regarding the digital television transition and mandates
all new TV sets 13 inches or more must include a digital tuner by March 1,
2007.
Television sets without digital tuners must be labeled to inform consumers
that the set won't receive a digital signal.
In 1996, Congress set a digital television transition date of Dec. 31, 2005. Under pressure from broadcasters, Congress changed that hard date
with a complicated formula that many think would delay the transition for
years.
The broadcasters said earlier this year they now support a hard deadline for
the transition to digital broadcasting.
The House set-top box subsidy allows each American household to obtain up to
two $40 coupons that can be applied toward the purchase of converter boxes.
Consumers will be required to affirmatively request coupons. The coupons
will be available from Jan. 1, 2008, to Jan. 31, 2009.
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