Jun 18 2009
The federal government voted to delay the February 17, 2009, digital transition date to June 12, 2009. What did this mean for you and for our TV stations?
- For the unprepared consumer, the DTV delay meant another 4 months to get prepared for digital TV. This meant buying a DTV converter box, connecting it properly, aligning the antenna, and configuring the box. If the unprepared person needed a $40 converter box coupon then it meant an additional four months to be awarded the coupon if on the waiting list or some more time to apply and get on the waiting list.
- For the prepared consumer, the DTV delay meant little to nothing as the prepared consumer probably already watched broadcast digital television. One side-effect of this delay was that stations not operating in analog prior to February 17 probably wouldn't operate in digital until June 12, which meant watching these stations in analog-only for another four months.
- For all consumers, the DTV delay presented varying degrees of confusion. This is partly due to the timing of the delay mixed with the huge public awareness campaign focusing on the February 17 transition. The responsibility to inform consumers of the date change was shouldered by broadcasters, FCC, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA, retailers, manufacturers, and any other group involved with the TV industry.
- For broadcasters, the DTV delay meant that unprepared stations had another four months to get ready for the analog cutoff, but it didn't mean all full power broadcast stations would continue broadcasting analog until June 12. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allowed stations to petition them and continue as planned with the February 17 analog shut-off. The FCC released the list. About a third of full power stations shut off analog on February 17. These stations carried the burden of effectively informing consumers of their plan to move forward with a February 17 transition. TV Technology has an informative article about the impact of the DTV delay on broadcast stations.
- For some broadcasters, the DTV delay bought them time to get their new transmission towers finalized and operating at full capacity. This is something that really hasn’t been publicized much but it is a real concern because some stations needed these new towers to reach their viewing area with the fickle digital signal. This also caused viewers to realign their antennas and reconfigure their DTV converter box.
- For future users of the analog spectrum, the DTV delay meant another four months of waiting for the expanded bandwidth. It also meant more time to plan and get ready for transition day when the bandwidth is available for various public agencies to use.
