Lawmaker Sticking Close to Digital TV Deadline

[Gregg Lengling]

.S. House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton on Monday showed little flexibility in his plans for a Dec. 31, 2006 deadline for television broadcasters to complete their switch to digital signals.

He said he planned to introduce legislation soon with a 2006 deadline and was willing to adjust that date by less than a year despite worries from several members of his own committee that the deadline could hurt consumers.

Some lawmakers and television broadcasters are worried because 15 million U.S. households do not subscribe to cable or satellite services and do not have new television sets that can receive the higher-quality digital signals.

"We will introduce a digital transition bill probably in the next two or three weeks," Barton, a Texas Republican, told the National Association of Broadcasters annual convention.

Under current law, television broadcasters do not have to stop airing their old analog signals and only show digital until the end of 2006 or whenever 85 percent of the country can see the digital signals, whichever comes later.

One lawmaker suggested setting a 2009 deadline. Barton said he would have a little flexibility but, "I mean a little bit, I don't mean three years." Afterward, he told reporters "a year may be more than a little bit."

He said that the bill would also have a subsidy plan to aid low-income consumers who do not own a television set that can receive the new digital signals, trying to allay fears about consumers' televisions going dark. About 85 percent of households subscribe to cable or satellite and could get the new digital or converted signals from them.

While Barton said he had the votes to pass the bill, he has so far failed to convince many of his colleagues in the House of Representatives or win support in the Senate.

"I think it's going to be real trouble," Rep. Greg Walden, an Oregon Republican, said on a panel with Barton.

"I've got to protect my people in the state of Montana, because there will be a lot of televisions turned off," said Sen. Conrad Burns, a Republican from Montana. "We've got to approach this in a way that, number one, does no harm."

Broadcasters said the fight was far from over.

"It's easy to understand why a premature cutoff of analog broadcasting could lead to total marketplace confusion," said NAB President Eddie Fritts. I think it's safe to assume it will be many months before final legislation on this matter is considered."
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