DTV News for 3-13-2007

[Lee Wood]

DTV News for 3-13-2007
707 Days Until the Scheduled End of Analog Television Broadcasting


NTIA Releases Final Rule on Digital Television Converter Box Coupon Program
The converter box coupon program will assist Americans in receiving over-the-air broadcast television programming when full-power television stations cease analog broadcasting after February 17, 2009.
(Federal Communications Commission)
http://www.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/bye?http://w ... 031207.htm
http://www.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/bye?http://w ... 031207.doc [MS Word File]
http://www.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/bye?http://w ... 031207.pdf [Adobe PDF File]

Digital TV Fact Sheet for Consumers
(Federal Communications Commission)
http://www.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/bye?http://w ... sumers.pdf [Adobe PDF File]

Digital TV Fact Sheet for Retailers
(Federal Communications Commission)
http://www.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/bye?http://w ... ailers.pdf [Adobe PDF File]

Digital TV Fact Sheet for Manufacturers
(Federal Communications Commission)
http://www.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/bye?http://w ... turers.pdf [Adobe PDF File]



Dingell Upset with NTIA's DTV Box Rules
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rips Bush Administration
(Multichannel News)
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6 ... aking+News

Republican Fires Back at Democrat's DTV Rule Criticism
The rhetoric was heating up on Monday as Democrats and Republicans began to square off on a new DTV converter box program.
(Broadcasting & Cable)
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/articl ... edesc=news

Markey Says DTV Rules Present 'Fuzzy' Picture
House Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-Mass.) says the new DTV converter box subsidy rules issued Monday by the Bush administration is likely to be confusing.
(Broadcasting & Cable)
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/articl ... edesc=news

Initial Converter Box Bucks Cover All Analog Sets
On Monday, broadcasters praised the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) for choosing to not limit the digital-to-analog converter-box subsidy to analog-only households, at least initially.
(Broadcasting & Cable)
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/articl ... edesc=news

NTIA Issues Final D-TO-A Converter Box Rule
All U.S. households may apply for up to two $40 coupons toward the purchase of digital-to-analog converter boxes starting Jan. 2008.
(TVNEWSDAY)
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/03/12/daily.3/

Digital Discount Coupons Initially Available to All
The Commerce Department chose a broad path for distributing a potentially scarce supply of $40 discount cards to buy the converter boxes needed to watch digital TV on analog sets.
(TVWeek)
http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=11697

Digital TV transition looms
Attention owners of primitive TVs: If you still use an antenna to watch "American Idol," your picture will disappear at midnight on Feb. 17, 2009, unless you buy something called a digital converter box.
(Associated Press via Yahoo News / Detroit, MI News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070312/ap_ ... gital_tv_2
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... /703130333

All in U.S. eligible for TV box coupons
All U.S. households, not just the poor, will be eligible for $40 government subsidies to help pay for boxes that will allow analog TVs to continue to work after the nation's transition to digital television is completed in 2009, the Commerce Department said Monday.
(USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/compu ... htm?csp=34
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2 ... htm?csp=34

U.S. Sets Rules for Digital TV Payments
The government will offer households as much as $80 each to help convert televisions to receive digital broadcasts under a $1.5 billion program.
(Bloomberg News via New York, NY Times / Los Angeles, CA Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/busin ... gital.html
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi ... &cset=true

All eligible for digital TV converter discount
All US households with analogue televisions will be eligible for $US40 ($51) discount coupons to buy digital converter boxes, the US Commerce Department says.
(Reuters / Ysahoo News / Australian IT)
http://www.reuters.com/article/televisi ... 4420070312
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070312/us_ ... ition_dc_1
http://australianit.news.com.au/article ... public_rss

NTIA Issues DTV Coupon Rule
The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued its final rule for a digital-to-analog converter box coupon program that will subsidize the cost of special equipment that some consumers may need to continue receiving television broadcasts, once full-power analog TV broadcasts cease on Feb. 17, 2009.
(This Week in Consumer Electronics)
http://www.twice.com/article/CA6423646.html

Coupons for digital switch considered
Brushing aside congressional suggestions that the nation is ill-prepared for the conversion to digital TV, the Commerce Department on Monday unveiled its plan to help subsidize the switchover from analog.
(Hollywood Reporter)
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/con ... fa41b14ff9

Feds unveil digital-TV subsidy details
Americans who want a converter box permitting older televisions to receive digital broadcasts will be eligible for federal subsidies, according to new rules announced Monday that clear up some confusion about how the program will work.
(CNET News.com)
http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-6166416 ... &subj=news

Feds Tune In DTV Subsidy Plan
All U.S. households will be eligible for two $40 coupons to help defray the cost of digital converter boxes that analog television sets will need to view over-the-air broadcasting after Feb. 17, 2009.
(InternetNews.com)
http://www.internetnews.com/wireless/ar ... hp/3665061

U.S. unveils DTV converter box plan
U.S. households will be eligible to request two $40 coupons beginning Jan. 1, 2008, for the purchase of digital TV converter boxes, according to a DTV transition plan announced by the Bush administration on Monday (March 12).
(EE Times / Digital TV Designline)
http://www.eetimes.com/rss/showArticle. ... es_newsRSS
http://www.digitaltvdesignline.com/news ... =198000204

US Government To Spend Up To $1.5 Billion In Move To Digital TV
The federal government said Monday it will spend up to $1.5 billion to ensure every American can continue to watch television after broadcasters complete the transition to a digital signal in early 2009.
(Dow Jones via Nasdaq)
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsS ... 000467.htm&

NTIA rules to help with transition to digital TV
The Commerce Department today finalized plans for spending up to $1.5 billion to help consumers weather the upcoming transition from analog to digital TV.
(Government Computer News)
http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/43283-1.html

NAB, CEA, MSTV Applaud NTIA on DTV Converter Box Rules
Rules Consistent with NAB, MSTV, CEA Consensus Agreement Calling for High-Quality, Low-Cost Converters Providing Continued Consumer Access to Broadcast Service
(National Association of Broadcasters)
http://www.nab.org/AM/Template.cfm?Sect ... isplay.cfm

Digital TV Converter Box Rebate Announced
The Commerce Department approved a plan Monday that would allow every U.S. household to be eligible for two $40 coupons that could be used towards the purchase of a digital-to-analog converter box beginning in January 2008.
(BetaNews)
http://www.betanews.com/article/Digital ... 1173725841

Watch TV? Feds want to pay you
Who knew? It pays to watch TV.
(Philadelphia, PA Daily News)
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/new ... news_local

Feds To Ease Analog-to-Digital TV Shift
Starting in 2008, each U.S. household can request up to two $40 coupons towards the purchase of digital-to-analog converter boxes as part of a $1.5 billion program designed to subsidize the consumer purchase of converter boxes. The coupon program will be set up by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
(NewsFactor / Yahoo News)
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=50693
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20070313/tc_nf/50693

Commerce Department's Digital Television Rules Bring Transition Into Focus, Set Stage For Final Steps
Digital television (DTV) leader LG Electronics today saluted the U.S. Department of Commerce's final rules governing the nation's transition to all digital television broadcasting in less than two years.
(PR Newswire / Yahoo News / Broadcast Newsroom)
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stori ... 306&EDATE=
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070312/cgm036.html?.v=84
http://www.broadcastnewsroom.com/articl ... ?id=113316

Consumer Electronics and Broadcast Industries Applaud U.S. Commerce Department's NTIA on Converter Box Rules For 2009 Digital TV Transition
Rules Consistent with NAB, MSTV, CEA Consensus Agreement Calling for High-Quality, Low-Cost Converters Providing Continued Consumer Access to Broadcast Service
(Business Wire / Yahoo News)
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/sit ... ewsLang=en
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070312/20070312005827.html?.v=1

Consumer Electronics Industry Applauds Commerce Department