The Replacement Digital Translator rules adopted by the Commission earlier this month were published in the Federal Register on May 20. The new rules go into effect on June 19, except for Section 74.787(a)(5)(i).… Continue Reading
A four-person contingent from NTIA came to the NTA Convention in Denver last week to talk about their grant program for digital transmitters for Class A, LPTV, and TV Translator stations. They cleared up a couple of points and left at least one major question still unresolved.… Continue Reading
NTIA has finally issued a "Notice of Availability of Funds" for grants for upgrading Class A, Low Power TV (LPTV), TV Translator and TV Booster transmitters to digital operation. Bypassing any rulmaking proceeding, NTIA has simply declared that it has cash up for grabs. The Notice is NTIA's way of saying "come and get it." The fun starts July 13, 2009.… Continue Reading
The FCC has created a new replacement DTV translator service, and the doors are open and the welcome mat is out for applications in the new service. Check out the hightlights of the Commission's Report and Order.… Continue Reading
A TV station providing "enhanced analog nightlight service" asked the Commission if it could please be relieved of the final three weeks of its analog service commitment. There did not appear to be any significant public concern about continued analog service,and keeping the analog in operation would seriously threaten three staffers whose positions would otherwise have to be terminated.… Continue Reading
Sometimes it doesn't pay to get creative, especially where the FCC's rules are concerned. And sometimes the Commission's Audio Division is inexplicably tougher than its Video Division.… Continue Reading
You may remember our post from last month about the CUT FATT petition. It turns out that there was considerably more here than first met the eye. In the tradition of the late Paul Harvey, here is the rest of the story.… Continue Reading
It's déjà vu all over again. As expected, the Commission has acted, once again on a Friday (and yes, again on a Friday the 13th), to revise its required procedures with regard to termination of analog operations and consumer education announcements.… Continue Reading
On March 3, the FCC waived the new-and-improved 100-Day Countdown requirement pending resolution of the February 20 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). So scratch that new 100-Day Countdown, at least for the time being.… Continue Reading
Only Congress can grant the FCC authority over patent royalties. Besides, if the problem is all that urgent and important, why is CUT FATT coming forward only now, when the DTV transition is just about over?… Continue Reading
The Second Report and Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SRONPRM) which the FCC adopted last Friday night relative to the on-going DTV transition will be published in the Federal Register tomorrow, Friday, February 27. That will establish the effective dates of some new rules and the deadline for comments on the Commission's proposals.… Continue Reading
Talk about a 24/7 agency. The FCC has, for the second week in a row, kept its own nightlight burning beyond the usual Friday afternoon quitting time: during the evening of February 20, it adopted new rules and proposed others to govern the recently-extended DTV transition.… Continue Reading
That loud cracking noise you may have heard on your way home from your long Presidents' Day weekend out of town was probably the sound of the FCC breaking its arm trying to pat itself on the back about - what else? - the DTV transition.… Continue Reading
On President's Day itself, the Commission issued a public notice along with what should be the final list of which TV stations will shut down their analog operation the next day - Tuesday, February 17 - and which will stay on the air analog or broadcast "nightlight" or "enhanced nightlight" services.… Continue Reading
Late on Friday, February 13 -- just as the long Presidents' Day weekend was starting for many -- the FCC issued more items affecting post-February 17 DTV operations.… Continue Reading
The FCC has changed the ground rules for early shut-down of analog TV service, advising 123 stations that, contrary to what the Commission had previously said, they may not do so. If you're one of those stations, the good news is that you can get off the list if you jump through the right hoops. The bad news is that those hoops may pose more of a burden than it's worth.… Continue Reading
As previously reported, the FCC issued a blanket waiver permitting TV stations to turn off their analog as of February 17. However, a February 10 public notice re-emphasizes the potential for "limit[ing]" or "reconsider[ing]" that waiver "in the event that the Commission determines that analog termination on February 17 by a station or group of stations is contrary to the public interest."… Continue Reading
While nobody seriously doubts that the President will sign the DTV Delay Act into law, he had not done so as of Sunday, February 8 -- apparently because of a campaign commitment to bring "more sunlight" into the legislative process.… Continue Reading
On Thursday afternoon, February 5, the FCC released its long-anticipated public notice regarding termination of analog service on or after February 17 in light of the change in the DTV Transition date from February 17 to June 12.… Continue Reading
Word just in from Capitol Hill indicates that the House has passed the DTV extension bill by a resounding 264-158 vote. The House reportedly accepted the Senate's approach, which provides for a We-Really-Mean-It-This-Time final date of June 12, 2009.… Continue Reading
If you're planning to permanently cease broadcasting your analog signal as of February 17 (assuming the transition date does get delayed), you need to do a couple of things and you need to do them quickly.… Continue Reading
