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Breaking News: Senate votes to delay DTV transition four months

...and thus begins the process of indefinitely delaying the DTV switch.

"At least June" is right. Wagers on the actual switch date? I say December.
 
If this gets by the House it'll be poltical. Obama is new and doesn't want a public relations disaster one month into his presidency. Six months from now he can better afford the problems of the switch.
 
Where is there any mention of the National Association of Broadcasters opposing this measure?

To me this whole thing sounds like when Ronald Reagan put an end to the mandatory use of the metric system in the United States. Here the entire world uses a much easier system of measurement and here we have been so stuck with the old and confusion so often reigns. (I still remember a couple of years ago with one of the Mars landers crashed because the calculations had been done with the so-called English system vs. metric system.)

What about the stations and markets that have already gone DTV completely? Do they have to refire up their old transmitters just, as someone once said on here, "because Aunt Maude in Sarasota hasn't bothered to get the converter box" for her colonial trimmed hi-fi turntable/radio/TV console?

TV Week had some very compelling complaints from station managers from across the country who were going to have to make programming/personnel sacrifices, especially in this rotten economy, just to keep their analog transmitters humming.

THis is such a mistake.
 
sdwulfdawg said:
Where is there any mention of the National Association of Broadcasters opposing this measure?
Click to expand...

The provision was supported by the National Association of Broadcasters, an industry trade group, spokesman Dennis Wharton said Monday evening. Wharton said he has "no idea" how many stations will turn off their analog signals early if the bill becomes law. He otherwise declined immediate comment on the legislation. - Mobile Press-Register
Click to expand...

The passage reminds me why the federal government should have no role in how broadcasters operate except for the issuing of broadcast licenses.
 
The economy is in the dumper
We are at war all over the world,

Thank God the Senate has their priorities right, it would be earth shattering if someone couldn't watch TV.
 
Why the heck was the NAB supporting this? Supposedly an industry group?
 
I'm against the new date. They should keep the original date and if people aren't ready too bad. The date was set people knew about the date and they decided not to do anything about it.
 
sdwulfdawg said:
What about the stations and markets that have already gone DTV completely? Do they have to refire up their old transmitters just, as someone once said on here, "because Aunt Maude in Sarasota hasn't bothered to get the converter box" for her colonial trimmed hi-fi turntable/radio/TV console?

TV Week had some very compelling complaints from station managers from across the country who were going to have to make programming/personnel sacrifices, especially in this rotten economy, just to keep their analog transmitters humming.
Click to expand...

The information I've heard is that this switchover delay is voluntary, stations will not face government sanctions if they sign off on schedule. I've heard unofficially of quite a few stations that have already announced they plan to stick to the February 17th date, and at least two (including one of my locals here in Nashville) have filed paperwork with the FCC announcing as much. (it is not clear at this point whether such paperwork is necessary, I suppose their lawyers decided caution was the best policy!)

I cannot imagine any way that stations that have already silenced their analogs could be forced to return them to the air. In many cases, the analog transmitters have already been dismantled - in many cases, the stations would have to shut down their digital operations to put the analog back on the air.

I might venture an educated guess few stations will actually sacrifice personnel to stay on until June. If they don't have the budget to both pay everyone and keep the analog on, they'll just silence the analog.

I wonder what happens to the Analog Nightlight Act? (which was to allow analog stations to remain on until March 19th but only carrying transition and emergency information) Will it be absorbed by the delay in transition? Or will it be tacked onto the end of the June transition, allowing stations to remain on until July with transition information?

IMHO what we're going to see...
- A gradual trickle of analog stations disappearing as February 17th approaches - a dozen or so will go dark between now and the old deadline.
- A large flood going dark on the 17th as originally planned. To throw out a wild-guess figure, 20-40% of analog stations will go dark on the 17th.
- A slower trickle of disappearing analogs as equipment failures are left unrepaired.
 
IMHO, the big joke is on the millions of folks who have forked over thousands of bucks in anticipation of February 17th, only to find "D" day delayed.

Ya, sure, HDTV is a better picture but the analog signal is fine and more forgiving that the signal cliff's one encounters with digital.

I'm surprised the Cable lobby wasn't able to stop the delay. I have a vacation home in Michigan with a three year old 32" set hooked to two stacked antennas to pick up Chicago and South Bend TV. The analog signals are fine but many digital signals are cliffing.

Let the conversion take place. Nephew John will need to stop by Aunt Nellie to fix her set.
 
I think WTXX-TV/DT (CW) and WEDH-TV/DT (PBS) here in Hartford/New Haven are still switching their analog stations off that night. Regardless of the date, there's already an issue with New York City and Boston. WCVB-DT (ABC) of Boston is on channel 20. As for New York City, I think WABC-DT (ABC) is using channel 45 for their digital. That's what WEDH-DT is using now. (Both of the digital signals transmit from Rattlesnake Mountain in Farmington, CT, a few miles west-southwest of Hartford.)

It's all going to amount to one huge headache at work. I sell digital TVs, converter boxes and indoor antennas. Our TV advertising and signage all say "FEBRUARY 17TH". The Assistant Manager for our side of the store has said that no new signage is going to be made. :mad:

Meanwhile, what about the TV networks and the next sweeps period? Damn! :(
 
WABC-DT will be reverting to channel 7 whenever the transition eventually happens.

- Trip
 
w9wi said:
sdwulfdawg said:
What about the stations and markets that have already gone DTV completely? Do they have to refire up their old transmitters just, as someone once said on here, "because Aunt Maude in Sarasota hasn't bothered to get the converter box" for her colonial trimmed hi-fi turntable/radio/TV console?

TV Week had some very compelling complaints from station managers from across the country who were going to have to make programming/personnel sacrifices, especially in this rotten economy, just to keep their analog transmitters humming.
Click to expand...

The information I've heard is that this switchover delay is voluntary, stations will not face government sanctions if they sign off on schedule. I've heard unofficially of quite a few stations that have already announced they plan to stick to the February 17th date, and at least two (including one of my locals here in Nashville) have filed paperwork with the FCC announcing as much. (it is not clear at this point whether such paperwork is necessary, I suppose their lawyers decided caution was the best policy!)

I cannot imagine any way that stations that have already silenced their analogs could be forced to return them to the air. In many cases, the analog transmitters have already been dismantled - in many cases, the stations would have to shut down their digital operations to put the analog back on the air.

I might venture an educated guess few stations will actually sacrifice personnel to stay on until June. If they don't have the budget to both pay everyone and keep the analog on, they'll just silence the analog.

I wonder what happens to the Analog Nightlight Act? (which was to allow analog stations to remain on until March 19th but only carrying transition and emergency information) Will it be absorbed by the delay in transition? Or will it be tacked onto the end of the June transition, allowing stations to remain on until July with transition information?

IMHO what we're going to see...
- A gradual trickle of analog stations disappearing as February 17th approaches - a dozen or so will go dark between now and the old deadline.
- A large flood going dark on the 17th as originally planned. To throw out a wild-guess figure, 20-40% of analog stations will go dark on the 17th.
- A slower trickle of disappearing analogs as equipment failures are left unrepaired.
Click to expand...


I've also read that stations can switch earlier if they want. I'm wondering how many stations will flip on Feb 17th as planned. I'm guessing most will stick to the original date. I have not heard what the Chicago stations are planning on doing but I'm guessing they'll flip on February 17th. My parents and sister get the Peoria Illinois locals OTA. I'm wonderring what they will do as well. If they'll flip on February 17t or hold out until June. the reason they get their locals OTA is because Direct TV and Dish Network carry Chicgo locals in La Salle cunty Illinois. La Salle county is part of the Chicago DMA. They want Peoria locals and live about a half mile from where the Peoria DMA starts so they have satelite but want to watch a different local market than what is carried on Dish and Direct TV where they live. They get all the DTV's from Peria with no problems. So I'm curios i anyone knows what they plan on doing. I wonder how many people fall in to this catagory. Having satelite TV but living just outside of the DMA of the locals they want to watch so they rely on OTA to watch locals.
 
I'd say the firm final date would be August 31, 2011. They might as well extend the deadline to that date once-and-for all instead of writing many bills to get to that date.
 
To me it still looks like Feb. 17. dtvanswers.com has 20 days as does many local tv stations websites. also dtv.gov has 20 days. So it does not say June no where.
 
House Republicans scuttled an attempt to "fast track" a delay until June. The bill is not dead. It could be reintroduced next week but the clock is ticking.
Translation: February 17 remains the deadline.
 
There's not a lack digital convertors out there....

There's just a lack of common sense..... among the American Public....

Let those who waited until the last minute..... go out and buy their box without the coupon.....

Or just subscribe to cable / satellite.....

See.... there's lot's of options.....

How much figgin' hand-holding do people need ? ? ? ? ?

I prey the Reps. hold the line.... They buckle under every other "The Sky Will Fall If You Don't . . . ."
 
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