It might not get anywhere fast, but a bill to give full-power analog broadcasting 30 additional days of life has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.
The bill would let stations broadcast DTV-education and emergency information on analog channels for 30 days after the deadline of Feb. 17, 2009. The idea, picked up from the Sept. 8 early shut-off experiment in Wilmington, N.C., is to give latecomers to the transition a message they couldn't miss, while contributing to the safety of procrastinators in the event of an emergency.
Meredith Attwell Baker, acting boss of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, told reporters Tuesday she opposed the bill and thought the shifting date could confuse viewers.
Sen. John Rockefeller, D-W.Va., sponsored the Senate Bill. Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., introduced a similar measure in the House that would grant the stations a two-week analog lifeline.
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