US FCC reveals transition plans for digital TV broadcast

December 30, 2008 by robotics
Filed under Press

Different countries will have different strategies for their transition to digital broadcasting. For example, the UK is implementing a phased switchover based on regions. The plan is that the last analogue broadcast will shut down in 2012.

The US, on the other hand, has a relatively more dramatic strategy. All analogue broadcasts will end by 2009. That means in just a few days the US broadcast industry will be preparing full blast for their transition plans for the eventual permanent shut down of all full-power analogue broadcasts on February 17.

Broadcast stations though are afraid that not everyone will have been able to prepare for the switch to digital by having conventional TVs that do not accept digital signals. The US Congress and the FCC (http://www.fcc.gov) have also expressed their concerns about this thus Pres. Bush has signed into a bill a law that will, through the FCC, allow some stations to continue broadcasting digital TV broadcast information and remind people about the cessation of analog broadcasts as well as give them advice on how to switch and receive digital signals.

The program, called the analogue nightlight program, will only cover 310 of the 1749 stations all over the country. The prerequisite for inclusion in the program is that the station should be 164 miles from DTV stations that broadcast on the same channel.

The said nightlight signal will give advice on how to receive digital signals, and this includes getting converter boxes or acquiring digital TVs. Hopefully, this measure will be enough to give viewers a chance to convert in time. I can just imagine what will happen when a large number of citizens turn on their TV and only be greeted with static.

Spread the word: