SpectrumTalk

FCC Beats NTIA
in Updating DTV Website!

In my previous post I speculated on how long it would take FCC to update its website to reflect the change in DTV transition. A poster suggested June 13th!

At the top of this post are snapshots of the two competing websites from FCC and NTIA. The FCC top page has been updated to reflect the June 12 date of the new legislation. However, NTIA still reports "7 days to the end of analog broadcasting".

Now in fairness to NTIA, the box to the right labeled "Coupon Program Update" has a link to a new page that says

"Congress passed the DTV Delay Act, which would postpone the conclusion of the digital television transition to June 12, 2009 and give U.S. households additional time to prepare for this historic switch. However, this legislation does not change the operation of the TV Converter Box Coupon Program at this time. The DTV Delay Act will allow the Coupon Program, upon request, to offer replacement coupons for those which have expired without being redeemed. However, this program change will not take effect until the Coupon Program receives additional funding."

But that page, in turn has a link to a "Consumer Guide" that says,

"If you have an analog TV and rely on a rooftop antenna or “rabbit ears,” a TV converter box is one option to transition to digital TV on or before February 17, 2009. The TV Converter Box Coupon Program has reached its funding ceiling. If you waited until 2009 to apply for a coupon, your coupon application will be put on a waiting list. Coupon requests from eligible households will only be filled as funds from expiring coupons become available. Coupons will be mailed on a first-come, first-served basis as funding becomes available"

Maybe if NTIA and FCC combined their resources better so NTIA focused on the mechanics of coupon distribution and used FCC provided material for background they could both do a better job. But cooperation is not a long tradition between these 2 agencies unfortunately.