FCC considers penalties for digital delay

[Gregg Lengling]

Once again from Audio-Video July 2002.

The Federal Communications Commission in mid May said it will consider what measures it should take regarding television broadcasters who fail to meet digital TV construction deadlines.  The move came just after the May 1, 2002, deadline by which all commercial broadcasters were required to upgrade their equipment for digital programming.  The agency said about 70% of U.S. commercial TV stations missed that deadline and have requested six-month extensions.  Most of the delays are in small markets and the FCC reports that just 6 of 119 network affiliates in the top 30 markets are not offering DTV signals.

In a proprosed rulemaking, the FCC asked for public comment on a proposal that calls for a series of graduated sanctions to be imposed against broadcasters who fail to demonstrate that their failure to comply with the DTV construction deadline was due to circumstances that were either unforeseeable or beyone their control or due to a legitimate finanacial hardship.  The proposal calls for imposing an increasingly servere level of sanctions every six months that a broadcaster fails to meet the DTV construction mandate, followed by issuance of notices of apparent liability for forfeiture and possible rescission of the broadcaster's DTV license.  In a statement, FCC commission Kathleen Abernathy supported the proposed measures, stating that, "I feel strongly that broadcasters must comply with the established transition schedule and we must strictly enforce our rules."
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Well Channel 12, try to prove your problems....you knew 3 years ago you could extend your tower, you should have gone with a lower antenna or a dual antenna at the current top, or even rented space on the community tower that 10/36 uses.

Well Channel 6 with your flea power signal with no 16:9 programming just unconverted 4:3 NTSC, you knew 2 years ago work needed to be done to your tower, why didn't you do it.  Or why didn't you rent space elsewhere.....Maybe if you were still locally owned rather that being owned by FOX you would have a greater investment in our community, not just another dollar on your bottom line.

End of Rant.


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Gregg R. Lengling
RCA P61310 61" 16x9
gregg@camelcomm.com

[Rafiki]

Thanks Greg

Iwas thinking 6 claims on screen that they are WITI/WITI-DT. I get their claim but I don't get the signal.  Could it be that they are in some kind of violation of state advertizing laws?

I dunno and sometime thinking is dangerous.

57" Sony 16:9