Boucher: DTV Transition On "Very Good Path"
Says Copps' handling of transition and education effort has been "superb"
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/25/2009 2:01:11 PM
While the House Commerce Subcommitee on Communications, Technology & the Internet isn't holding its DTV oversight hearing until Thursday, Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-VA) has already signaled he is happy with the current state of the transition and preparations for the new June 12 hard date for the cut-off of analog signals.
Boucher backed the move of the date and led floor debate in the House on the bill that moved it.
In an interview with B&C, Boucher said that the transition is on "a very good path. I do not anticipate any further problems," he said. The congressman praised acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps' handing of the transition, saying it had been "superb," a term he also applied to the industry's handling of the DTV education effort. Boucher also said that, as far as he could tell, the NTIA's DTV-to-analog converter box coupon program was now working well, thanks to an infusion of economic stimulus money that got the program moving again. "We are continuing to gauge with NTIA the success of their program, but from all appearances it now seems to be working very well."
NTIA announced this week that it had cleared up the 4 million plus waiting list of coupon requests and had begun accepting reapplications for expired coupons, something the DTV date change bill also authorized.
Boucher praised the industry for its education campaign.
"I think that broadcasters and cable have both done a superb job in educating the public about the DTV transition," he told B&C. "And, to the extent that there were people who were unprepared, and there certainly were-- 6.5 million homes and these are Nielsen's numbers--that was not because of lack of effort on the part of broadcasters or cable. I want to extend to them congratulations for a job well done."
He said they had also done a good job in beefing up call centers, suggesting that moving the DTV transition date had been necessary to shore up that effort.
In addition to the coupon program running out of money, which was a key spur to the administration's initial call for moving the date, Boucher said the other "major problem" was that "the FCC's call centers were in complete disarray because they were short staffed and did not have adequate resources. That problem has also been repaired as a consequence of the stimulus," he said, with an assist from Copps.
The stimulus package set aside $650 million to fund more coupons and for more NTIA and FCC outreach, which includes funding for call centers.
Boucher also said Copps' effort to coordinate the industry and government call centers was "extraordinarily helpful."
The congressman also reiterated that there would be no more moving of the date. "There will not be a further delay," he said. "The transition will occur everywhere in the country on June 12."
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