DTV transition issues affect cable, satellite TV customers
September 5th, 2007Cable customers’ access to local stations after the digital TV transition is an agenda item for the FCC’s public meeting on September 11. A plan circulated by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin reportedly envisions dual carriage of local channels in analog and digital form following the shutdown of analog broadcasts on February 17, 2009.
Dish Network’s parent company, meanwhile, is telling the FCC that it will be unable to provide all “must-carry” local stations in high-definition for its satellite TV customers in time for the 2009 deadline. EchoStar is also saying that it cannot make an overnight switch from analog to digital stations on February 17, 2009; the transition of 1,500 local signals nationwide could take months, the company contends.