FCC bureau proposes setting 2009 deadline for DTV transition

[Gregg Lengling]

By Heather Forsgren Weaver
April 14 13:23:00, 2004


WASHINGTON—In a move expected to make spectrum available to commercial
operators sooner, the FCC's Media Bureauis proposing to move the digital
TV transition date back to 2009.

The proposal aims to get at the current 85-percent threshold, which says
that broadcasters must give back their analog
spectrum Jan. 1, 2007, or when 85 percent of the homes in their license
areas can receive digital signals.
The current estimates are that it will be at least the next decade
before most markets reach that threshold if the Federal
Communications Commission counts only homes with either a DTV or digital
set-top box.

The Media Bureau proposal gets at the heart of the relationship between
broadcasters and cable operators. It would
allow broadcasters in October 2008 to elect to have their entire digital
signals carried by cable operators instead of the
current rule, which requires cable operators to carry only broadcasters'
analog signals. The cable company then would
choose whether to broadcast only in digital and require its customers to
obtain (either through purchase or giveaway) a
digital set-top box or to download the broadcaster's digital signal into
an analog signal.

Either way, the broadcaster would be broadcasting in digital and "85
percent" of the homes in its market would be
capable of receiving a digital signal, and the broadcaster would be
required to give back its analog signal as of Jan. 1,
2009.

In other words, commercial wireless carriers, which have long coveted
the 700 MHz band, could purchase this spectrum
at auction knowing they would have access to it in 2009.

Contrast that with the current situation where commercial wireless
operators could buy spectrum at auction but never
know when the broadcasters would move out. This uncertainty has led the
wireless industry to get Congress to pass
legislation to indefinitely postpone the 700 MHz band auction.

Mobile-phone operators have often asked who would buy a house if there
was no guarantee that the current occupants
would move out.

The Media Bureau has briefed each of the five FCC members at least once
on this issue, said Media Bureau Chief Ken
Ferree at a press briefing Wednesday. Once he has the "thumbs up from
three or more" of the commissioners, he will
direct the Media Bureau to begin writing the rules. There are two open
proceedings—digital must carry and the DTV
periodic review—which means this change to 2009 could be done without
putting the Media Bureau's idea out for
comment.

Putting it out for comment is likely dangerous because the broadcasters
are not warm to any proposal that would mean
giving up their analog spectrum, said Ferree.

"They would rather eat their children than give up their spectrum," said
Ferree. "They will hold onto this spectrum until
their dying date. I don't blame them."

The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association seems warm to any
idea that will spur the DTV transition.
"The 700 MHz band is being used for 'Cops' re-runs, when those airwaves
should be put in the hands of real cops in the
field. The broadcasters, who have dragged their feet on this transition,
are the bad boys of spectrum policy, and clearing
them from this spectrum as soon as possible to make room for public
safety is the right thing to do," said CTIA spokesman Travis Larson.

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