WASHINGTON – And why, pray tell, should we care about this particular bill here? This is the bill where the U.S. analog-to-digital TV transition particulars are buried.
As often happens in politics, some bills can contain a great many things besides what the title says.
In this case, the Budget Reconciliation conference report includes the digital transition particulars which was negotiated by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, each of which originally offered bills on the digital transition.
The legislation, still to be approved by the U.S. Senate, establishes two specific dates that will advance the transition to a digital television (DTV) broadcast signal and improve public safety communications.
First, the Act requires broadcasters to vacate the analog portion of the public spectrum by February 17, 2009 (The new date is about two months earlier than the most recent date considered, April 7, 2009). From that date forward, public safety personnel will have access to the 24 MHz of spectrum recovered in the transition. Second, the legislation requires the auction of recovered spectrum by January 28, 2008.
It’s expected that auction will raise between US$10 billion to $20 billion.
Under its revised budget reconciliation instruction, the Senate Commerce Committee saves US$7.363 billion for deficit reduction in the next five years, and spectrum auctions are considered to be the most viable method within the Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction to recover this revenue.
“This conference report is another in a series of important steps to freeing up the necessary spectrum for our nation’s first responders,” said Chairman Stevens. “By providing our emergency response entities and broadcasters with a date certain for the digital transition, our first responders can move forward in ensuring that critical communication infrastructure is in place in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack.” After $7.363 billion of revenue is transferred to the U.S. Treasury, the remaining funds raised from spectrum auctions will be allocated as follows:
1) $1.5 billion for a converter box subsidy program for those who can’t afford to upgrade to digital.
2) $75 million for a program to transition Low Power TV stations and TV translators to digital
3) $1 billion for state and local interoperability grants
4) $156 million to fund programs in the WARN Act, which establishes national alert and tsunami warning systems
5) $43.5 million in funding to improve E-911 communications under the Enhance 911 legislation sponsored by Senator Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) passed last year
6) $30 million available for the Essential Air Service program
7) $30 million to the Metropolitan Television Alliance, an organization of New York City broadcast stations, for additional digital broadcast equipment needed to provide an adequate digital signal from the Empire State building until the Freedom Tower is completed. As a result of the destruction of the World Trade Center Towers in connection with the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, there is no longer an adequate digital broadcast location to cover all of the New York metropolitan area.
“With the spectrum auctions expected to raise more than $10 billion, the Congress has succeeded in finding a vital balance between the needs of first responders and consumers,” said committee chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). “The $1 billion allocated for interoperability infrastructure will provide responders with the equipment essential to ensuring public safety in times of crisis. In addition, the $1.5 billion set aside for the converter box program makes certain that Americans will not be left in the dark in 2009 when the digital transition is completed.”
“The cable industry has long supported the important national public policy goal of completing the digital TV transition,” said National Cable Telecommunications Association president and CEO Kyle McSlarrow. “After investing billions of dollars to bring the digital future to consumers, both cable operators and programmers stand ready to deliver.
“We’ll continue to work hard to educate consumers about the transition, and to help prepare all Americans for the 2009 transition date."
While we in Canada have set no specific date for our own analog-to-digital transition, so much of our programming originates Stateside, it’s hard to imagine this date is not now the Canadian industry’s de facto deadline.
