Adam:

Seems that I am not the only one asking those same questions. I've been asking those same ones for a while, from youtube DTV issues, to in public.

However, I do know one answer to one of your questions, being on the Canadian border.

The US and Canadian changeovers to DTV (NTSC. vie 8-vsb) cannot coincide with each other. Looking at my own local coordinates, within 80km of my location at 43614, on the FCC database for TV quenry, I show there are only 2 open frequencies under channel 50. Those 2 are channel 15 and channel 10, IF they are to be low power. The point, Too many LPTV's, Class A's, DTV's cluttering up the airwaves now... and interferance would be astronomical.

Granted, I don't get my own local DTV permanently, eve though I'm 13 miles or less, dispote Engeineer suggestions. I'm in an apartment, near a busy theroughfare, facing the wrong way of "line of site."
However, I do get other market's DTV's... such as ABC53 and CW53 from Lansing, Varous DTV's from Detroit, etc. Can you imagine getting 2 opposing signals, that would cancel each other out?

That's why the switches cannot coincide at the end of August. The CRTC wants to know what open freuencies are going to be open, beofre they assign some staitons, such as CICO-32, on channel 32, Windsor Onterio. Sure, you see a "DTV 25, " but that's not from the CRTC, but another source. That same source shows "A CHANNEL" (CHWI-TV) on channel 60, but really is 16. So, not reliable, if you don't know the stations and the research. I watch them, so I know.

Consumer/elderly advocates? Reps for minorities and other OTA antenna-dependent constituencies? How about the price-gouging issue: Has gov't coupon program led to higher prices and fraud? Has the program kept retail price of boxes high due to price-fixing? How about signal propagation -- what happens to DTV in a driving rain? Will "fringe area" viewers lose access to major networks? What about "repeaters"? Are any in place, or is it just tough luck for fringe area viewers?

If the coupon program hadn't led to price-fixing, the boses would be selling for $25-$30 instead of $40 to $60 (with almost all priced at the higher figure).

Too many loose ends to tie up before February. Congress should delay analog shut-off until at least Aug. 31st, 2011, the Canadian date. Avoid the coming outcry and embarrassment when millions of Americans are disenfranchised from broadcast TV.