FCC, NTIA Asked to Give Congress Monthly DTV Status Reports
The Senate Commerce Committee asked the FCC and NTIA to work together to submit monthly status reports on the digital transition. At an oversight hearing Tuesday, Chairman Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, said the reports should summarize activities and “challenges” the agencies face. “I have deep reservations about the FCC spending its limited time and resources in media areas unrelated to the transition,” Inouye said.
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Vice Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Ariz., cited the a la carte and net neutrality issues as items that might be distracting the FCC. But FCC Chairman Kevin Martin told reporters after the hearing that the DTV transition is one of the commission’s “top priorities.” The agency had to respond to a net neutrality complaint, he said, but neither that nor his ongoing interest in a la carte would distract from DTV efforts.
“Too many Americans remain in the dark about what the DTV transition means,” Inouye said. He cited a recent Consumers Union survey that found 74 percent of consumers who knew about the DTV transition have “major misconceptions about what it means to them.” The survey “troubles me,” Inouye said.
Martin said the commission is devoting “significant” resources to the transition, but said the next 10 months “will undoubtedly be challenging.” The agency will “take whatever actions are necessary minimize the potential burden” on consumers, Martin said.
“We're monitoring very closely” information on the converter box program, said NTIA Acting Administrator Meredith Baker. As of April 7, NTIA has accepted requests from more than 5.2 million households for nearly 9.9 million coupons, which represents 46 percent of the program’s first phase of funding: “Consumers have begun to purchase converters with the coupons.”
“I think we all just pray that it works,” Stevens said, referring to the agencies’ DTV education activities. He asked Martin whether it would make sense to employ the emergency broadcast warning system as a way to alert people to the transition. “What about a ‘Do Yo Know, Do You Know'” type of alert, Stevens asked. Martin said such a warning could be confusing, adding that surveys show that people need accurate information about what to do. “We certainly can consider” that approach, he said, adding that he also sees value in Commissioner Michael Copps’ proposal to choose some test markets to gauge how the transition would work.
Baker endorsed a proposed bill (S-2607), which includes some technical corrections to help with the DTV transition. The measure, introduced by Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, would make funding available this year for low-power TV stations to upgrade their equipment. Under present rules, the money can’t be tapped until fiscal 2010. Making funds available now could help low-power TV stations, which frequently are located in rural areas, Baker said.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said she wanted to get the “somewhat awkward” issue of Baker’s impending departure on the record. “I think you're doing a very good job right now, Ms. Baker,” said McCaskill said. “The last thing in the world we need right now is someone new to take your job” due to “some political consideration.” The White House has nominated Neil Patel, an aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, to be NTIA administrator, angering several members of the committee. Patel has little experience with technology issues (CD Feb 29 p1). “I don’t understand why the White House is interested in replacing you. I think you should stay, and stay through the transition. This is a really bad time to play politics with the transition,” McCaskill said. She also said she’s “very worried” about the transition, particularly with NTIA’s estimate of demand for coupons. “It doesn’t make sense to me” that the government wouldn’t factor in its calculations that demand for coupons would spike closer to the transition, she said.
“You're very right” that demand may peak, Baker said, adding that peaks occurred at the beginning of the program and during the agency’s Feb. 17 promotion of the program. The unknown is whether people are applying for coupons but not actually using them. McCaskill urged that NTIA assess how many of coupon requesters are elderly.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., asked whether help is needed to replace consumer antennas, which might not work after the transition. Martin said FCC engineers estimate that about 5 percent or less of the population would be affected by a potential antenna problem. Klobuchar pushed Martin to estimate how much replacement antennas would cost. “Part of the challenge is how to figure out” which consumers would be affected. Martin said the consumer electronics industry has some resources people could use to find out if their equipment doesn’t work. Klobuchar said the antenna issue could be a problem in rural areas.