Compromise DTV bill out of conference
The two Capitol Hill Commerce Committees decided to split the difference, more or less, on a number of incongruent issues regarding the DTV transition, resulting in the latest - - and perhaps final - - version of the "Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005." The biggie: The analog turn-in date will not be the House's 12/31/08 nor the Senate's 4/7/09. Instead, it will occur just after Valentines Day, on 2/17/09, safely after legislators are back in town from the end-of-year break, but before the onset of NCAA March Madness, which was widely cited as the reasoning for the April date. Besides splitting the difference on the hard date, the two legislative branches also made a downconverter subsidy a 'tweener at 1.5B, less than the Senate's 3B proposal but more than the House's effective total of 830M. NAB was happy to see the consumer concern, and was also pleased with what wasn't in the bill, as new President/CEO David Rehr explained: "NAB is pleased that the House included many pro-consumer DTV provisions in the budget reconciliation bill. We are especially encouraged that the legislation thwarts the cable industry's desire to degrade delivery of HDTV pictures to consumers." The bill will use spectrum auctions to raise 7.363B for deficit reduction, then will apply auction funds to various DTV transition and public-safety uses (as well as one unrelated air travel measure.)
DTV spending breakdown here
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
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-MT) 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.
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