‘Fine’ time for DTV

[Gregg Lengling]

Bill McConnell
Broadcasting & Cable
12/2/2002 10:35:00 AM
   Beginning this week, the 71 commercial TV stations admonished by the Federal Communications Commission for failing to launch digital service must be on the air with digital TV or face the possibility of fines.

This past spring, the FCC reprimanded the stations for not justifying their failure to offer digital as of the May 1, 2002, deadline.

Another 772 of the 1,315 commercial stations got six-month extensions that have now expired.

Second extensions have been requested by 507, with 62 so far given the additional half-year.

The rest are under review.

Any of the 71 admonished stations that failed to go digital by Dec. 1 can be issued notices of apparent liability for fines and required to meet a series of 30-day construction milestones.

Any of those stations still without digital signals six months from now could have their construction permits yanked.