Dingell Sets June 10 DTV Hearing
House Energy & Commerce Committee to Examine Status of Digital-TV Transition, Test in Wilmington, N.C.
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/20/2008 12:00:00 PM
House Energy & Commerce Committee chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) called a hearing for June 10 on the status of the digital-TV transition in general and the Federal Communications Commission's proposed Wilmington, N.C., DTV test in particular.
The move comes partly in response to a Government Accountability Office report released Tuesday finding that the majority of broadcasters were prepared for the DTV transition, but that some still work remained to be done.
The FCC announced two weeks ago that TV stations in Wilmington, N,C., FCC chairman Kevin Martin's home state, agreed to pull the plug on analog TV Sept. 8 to help the agency get a handle on the issues that will arise when the rest of the full-power TV stations do the same Feb. 17, 2009.
“I am greatly encouraged that so many broadcasters are well on their way to becoming fully prepared for the digital transition," Dingell said of the GAO report. "I urge the FCC to work closely with industry to resolve remaining issues so that 100% of full-power broadcasters will complete a smooth transition to digital. The committee will continue to monitor the status of the transition, and I expect to see continued progress.”
