FCC tightens its guidelines on DTV transition extensions

Less than thirteen months remain for US television stations to move off the old analog VHF and UHF spectra, into their new digital allotments. But even now, the FCC has to deal with stations that have yet to finalize their construction plans.

The zero-hour for the US' transition to an all-digital broadcast television system remains February 17 of next year. But only now has the Federal Communications Commission set what it hopes will be a hard and fast timetable for potentially hundreds of stations that have yet to begin even constructing or re-constructing their transmission facilities.

"The process of transitioning the entire TV broadcast industry to digital-only operation on each station's final channels will be complex," reads an FCC report and order issued yesterday. "Accordingly, most stations should have their plans in place for their transition to digital-only service on their post-transition channel. Some stations may now be ready, or very close to ready, to make their transition. Other stations, however, will need to take significant steps to accomplish their transition."

While many US stations have already begun broadcasting simultaneous analog and digital signals, not all of those stations will actually be continuing to broadcast on the same digital (DTV) channel after 2/17/2009 as they are currently. In fact, the FCC estimates that 117 stations (about 6.4% of US DTV broadcasters) will actually need to transition between their current DTV and their new DTV channel assignments...which will probably mean they have to construct new equipment.

With a little more than a year left for stations to get the job done, the FCC yesterday set new interim guidelines for the construction of transition facilities. For stations that have already received their construction permits, their facilities construction deadline must now be set for no later than May 18 -- just over 16 weeks away. Stations that have not yet received a permit have until August 18.

Many notable stations have already applied for and received waivers or extensions of construction guidelines until August 18, for technical or other reasons. WNBC New York and public station WNYW New York are among them.

In exchange for the stricter construction deadlines, the FCC is granting more leniency for stations coping with the trouble of making the transition work, while somehow staying on the air through the entire period. So even though stations must be broadcasting in DTV after 2/17/2009, they don't necessarily have to begin on the same channel they'll end up with. In other words, their pre-transition channel may be permitted to continue past the transition date, perhaps for a few months, until stations are ready to change frequencies.

What's more, if a station can prove it's faced with a "unique technical challenge," it may be allowed to scale back its transmitter power after the transition, just so long as its lowered coverage area continues to serve 85% or more of its established viewership.

Perhaps the most surprising move, however, is that the FCC will allow stations to stop transmitting any signal on NTSC analog or DTV altogether as early as January 18. Stations must notify the FCC -- and while they're at it, they also need to notify their viewers -- although they won't need to wait for anyone's approval.

"Unfortunately, at this point, the transition will not be as smooth as it might have been," reads a statement from Commissioner Michael Copps yesterday. "Not every consumer will have access to all of their analog broadcast channels on February 17, 2009 and then wake up happily the next morning to those same stations in digital. There will be some period of time -- perhaps before the transition date and almost certainly after -- in which some stations may not be able to provide service to all of their viewers. Thankfully, the Order adopts our earlier proposal to require every broadcast station in the country to file a DTV status report this February -- telling us where they are, what more they need to do, and how they plan to get there. Those reports should give us a much better picture of specific issues that may arise -- hopefully, with enough time to address them."

Copps then took the time to reiterate his amazement at how the whole DTV transition managed to be planned like this in the first place.

"Pulling the switch on stations all across the land at one and the same time in February 2009 is going to be a real throw of the dice," he wrote. "It is unfathomable to me that we are planning to turn off every full-power analog signal in the country on a single day without running at least one test market first...I recognize there may be legal, technical, and practical challenges with planning and conducting such a test this close to the national transition date. But I believe it can be done. At least for the sake of a successful DTV transition, let's hope it can."

But Commissioner Deborah Tate yesterday praised the order for how comprehensive it was, never mind how tight it is.

"A one-size-fits-all approach is not prudent for an industry that serves thousands of diverse communities," Commissioner Tate wrote. "From visiting the top of the Empire State Building with engineers, to meeting with local Tennessee broadcasters, one thing is clear: This will take individualized planning for the unique issues all across the country. I am pleased that this Order represents an understanding of the geographic, economic, and technical realities faced by American broadcasters as we approach the transition deadline."

Most TV stations in America are known more for their channel numbers than their call letters, typically because the branding is so much simpler. After 2/17/2009, most stations will keep their current call letters, and will move to their corresponding channel numbers in the DTV spectrum. However, according to an appendix to the FCC order yesterday, many channel numbers will actually change.

For instance, the long-time NBC affiliate in Houston, KPRC Channel 2, will find its DTV operations remaining on Channel 35 next year. Public station KERA in Dallas, whose trademark has always been its prominent "13," will find itself on Channel 14. And in a move that will make its own call letters seem...odd, station KFOR in Oklahoma City -- the first FCC-licensed television station west of the Mississippi River, and among locals, the quintessential "Channel 4" -- remains slated to occupy DTV channel 27.