FCC Seeks More Data on Digital TV Rollout

[Gregg Lengling]

Thu May 1, 2003 05:58 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission will seek more information from television broadcasters, cable operators and electronics manufacturers about their efforts to speed the transition to digital signals, according to a letter released on Thursday.
The agency plans to ask how broadcasters are using a swath of airwaves they were given to air digital programming, on what cable systems digital signals are being carried, and what more needs to be done to ensure television sets can receive the digital signals.

The requests for information will help "assess the impact of past policy initiatives and to inform our future efforts in this area," FCC Chairman Michael Powell said in an April 29 letter to the U.S. Congress released on Thursday.

About a year ago Powell proposed a series of steps to kick start the transition to digital signals by broadcast television stations because the move had become bogged down over what steps should be taken first and by whom.

The television networks began airing more programs in digital while cable systems began passing through more digital signals to consumers. The FCC also mandated over time including tuners that can receive digital in new television sets.

Now Powell wants to know whether broadcasters are fully using their spectrum for a mix of digital programming or "are they using it to do the minimum amount of programming possible -- a single stream of standard-definition digital programming -- and permitting much of their digital spectrum to lie fallow?"

The FCC will also ask where digital broadcasters are not being carried on cable systems and why not, whether additional FCC involvement is necessary to ensure television set makers are including the latest advances in digital reception capability in new sets.

Powell also wants to know what further steps are needed to help inform consumers about the transition. A recent congressional report found about 40 percent of Americans had never heard about the digital television transition while another 43 percent said they were only "somewhat aware."

"These findings are sobering but not unsurprising," he told lawmakers.