The broadcasting lobby addressed the Senate and said it would accept a firm changeover date of January 1, 2009.
The National Association of Broadcasters has fought against efforts to compel it to depart the analog spectrum and go to all digital broadcasts. Now, with an impatient Congress seeing dollar signs in the future sale of analog spectrum to private interests, the NAB has agreed to a firm changeover date.
The NAB had been facing a December 31, 2006 changeover date provided that 85 percent of homes in the USA had either a digital television or converter in place. That provision will be dropped in favor of the 2009 date.
One Senator, George Allen (R-Va.) observed the timing of the measure conveniently comes after the 2008 elections. “If you want an uproar in this country, have people’s TV sets go off,” he said, noting the potential for constituent outrage at millions of analog-only TVs suddenly going dark.
When analog programming does go away, the US government will suddenly have a lot of spectrum on its hands, and heated interest from cellular providers and other firms ready to bid on it. According to the Wall Street Journal, estimates at government proceeds from such an auction range from $10 to $30 billion USD.
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
