Digital TV Conversion

[Dib9@aol.com]

There is a $9.4 million bond issue on the Maine ballot on November 2nd to 
fund the conversion of Maine Public Television to digital TV.  Maine Public 
TV in their campaign is using the scare tactic in their ads that if the bond 
issue does not pass, they will be forced to give up their licenses and Maine 
kids will lose Big Bird.  The scare tactics don't seem to be working as polls 
show that only about a third of Maine voters currently favor the bond issue, 
while the other four bond issues on the ballot all have majority support.  
The Bangor Daily News has good story about the issue today.  Check it out at: 
 http://www.bangornews.com/News/19991009000000BigBirdfac.html

In the story, David Fiske, deputy director of the FCC's Office of Public 
Affairs, rebuts Maine Public Televisions scare tactics by saying: "It's far 
too premature to say they'll lose their license. It's too early for it even 
to be a relevant question."

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine