On February 5, 2009, the Commission released a Public Notice in which it granted a partial waiver of the Third DTV Periodic Report and Order to permit television broadcast stations to cease analog broadcasting on February 17, 2009, despite the extension of the national DTV transition deadline to June 12, 2009 pursuant to the DTV Delay Act.
In the February 5th Public Notice, the Commission reserved the right to limit or reconsider the partial waiver if it was determined that analog termination on February 17 by a station or group of stations is contrary to the public interest. As explained in the February 5th Public Notice, the primary concern of the Commission is to ensure that viewers relying on over-the-air television do not lose access to local news, public affairs and emergency information before they are ready for the full power television transition to all-digital television service. It was this concern that prompted the Congress to delay the digital transition until June 12, 2009, and it is this concern that prompts the FCC’s action here.
Please see the attached files for more information.
Attachments:
Public Notice [173 KB PDF]Appendix [46 KB PDF]