The Federal Communications Commission slapped retailers, tuner chip and TV makers with $6 million in fines today. Eleven enforcement orders were approved encompassing labeling, tuner and V-chip violations.
Seven fines totaling $3.9 million were issued to retailers for not properly labeling analog TV sets with a warning that they won’t receive over-the-air signals after Feb. 17, 2009.
Two companies were fined more than $1.6 million for violating DTV tuner rules. Specifics were not defined, but the FCC said the rules restrict “the importation and interstate shipment of analog-only televisions. Two more companies were hit for having inaccessible V-chip systems.
DTV Labeling Fines:
Sears, Roebuck, K-Mart -- $1,096,000
Wal-Mart Stores/Sam's West -- $992,000
Circuit City Stores -- $712,000
Fry's Electronics -- $384,000
Target Corp. -- $296,000
Best Buy Co. Inc. -- $280,000
CompUSA Inc. -- $168,000
TOTAL: $3,928,000
DTV TUNER FINES
Syntax-Brillian -- $1,266,100
Precor Inc. -- $357,900
TOTAL: $1,624,000
DTV V-CHIP FINES
Polaroid Corp. -- $775,000
Proview Technology Inc. -- $300,000
TOTAL: $1,075,000
In a separate action, the commission entered into consent decrees totaling $3.4 million with five more companies over V-chip violations.
V-CHIP CONSENT DECREES
LG Electronics -- $1,700,000
Philips Consumer Electronics -- $450,000
Sanyo Corp. -- $375,000
Vizio Inc. -- $370,000
Panasonic Corp. -- $320,000
Westinghouse Digital Electronics -- $210,000
Audiovox Corp. -- $20,000
TOTAL: $3,445,000
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