Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act

[Scott Fybush]

John Bolduc wrote:
> Has anybody heard of the:
> 
> http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-281A1.pdf
> 
> 
> The Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act (“Analog
> Nightlight Act” or “Act”)1 requires the Commission to develop and
> implement a program by January 15, 2009, to “encourage and permit”
> continued analog TV service after the February 17, 2009 DTV
> transition date, where technically feasible, for the purpose of
> providing “public safety information” and “DTV transition
> information” to viewers who may not obtain the necessary equipment to
> receive digital broadcasts after the transition date.

Yup. A classic example of Congressional "do-something"-ism.

So a few analog stations (the ones on channels 2-13 and 21-51 that won't 
have their channels taken over by their own, or someone else's, digital 
signal) will keep the transmitter running for a few extra weeks (not 
that any of them have budgeted for the extra power bills, or even have 
the capability to provide a separate programming feed, complete with 
EAS, to their analog transmitters) to broadcast a repeating loop of DTV 
transition information to...who again, exactly?

Does Congress really think that the small percentage of viewers who've 
consistently ignored the nonstop drumbeat of "get ready for DTV" 
messages for over a year now will suddenly pay attention just because 
there's nothing else on their analog-only screens to watch? (Or, even 
more laughably, that they'll stay tuned to a nonstop crawl of "CALL 
1-888-DTV-2009" just on the off chance that there will be an emergency 
message somewhere in there that they need to see?)

I predict that we'll see a few broadcasters keeping the analog up for a 
few days, maybe a week or so, and then shutting it off once they realize 
that they're shouting into a void. (And, frankly, anyone who wakes up on 
Feb. 18, 2009 having done nothing about the DTV transition and claims to 
be surprised to have no TV has probably been living in a void for quite 
some time now. I'm not talking about the percentage - probably a bit 
larger than anyone in the business wants to admit - who don't care 
whether or not they get TV, either because they don't watch at all, or 
they watch online, or they just rent DVDs; they, presumably, know and 
don't care about the transition, and that's fine.)

s