Nightlight Station Total Increases To 118
Stations in 85 DMAs will broadcast emergency and DTV transition info in analog for up to 30 days past June 12 shutoff
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/11/2009 11:15:43 PM
The DTV Countdown: Complete Coverage of the DTV TransitionThe FCC said Thursday night that that 118 stations had agreed to keep analog nightlight service going after Friday's hard date for ending regular analog service.
That is up from 99 earlier in the week, and after the National Association of Broadcasters said it was urging more stations to do so. FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein had literally begged more stations to participate.
The 118 stations represent 85 DMAs. They are only allowed to broadcast emergency and DTV transition information for up to 30 days past June 12. That means July 12 will be the hard date for the termination of those analog signals.
The FCC said the new list includes 46 stations that were not among the original list when May 26 was the deadline for telling the FCC they wanted to keep a nightlight on. The FCC extended that to try to get more participants. It said Thursday that 46 more stations were added who had since stepped up. Two more were added that were mistakenly omitted from the first list, while one was removed that was mistakenly on the list.
The FCC said stations could still join that list by notifying the commission via e-mail to nightlight@fcc.gov, or on the FCC's Web site.
THe FCC took the opportunity to remind stations that if they run into an emergency situation that would prevent them from broadcasting a digital signal, they cannot continue in analog, except as a nightlight station.
Cable operators are not required to carry the nightlight signals, and stations whose spectrum is being reclaimed for public safety or advanced wireless services that have won it at auction cannot be nightlights.
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