WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) sent a joint letter today to the President, urging the establishment of an inter-agency task force to oversee the transition from analog to digital television (DTV).

 

The Chairmen called on the President to use the government’s resources “to help educate and prepare all Americans for this potentially disruptive change in our broadcasting system.” The Chairmen warned, “[i]f the transition is not successful, millions of American who rely solely on over-the-air broadcasts may be left in the dark.” 

 

According to a 2005 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, 21 million homes - nearly one in five of all television-equipped households – rely on free, over the air broadcasts for television service. The task force, which Chairmen Inouye and Dingell suggested should be led by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), would focus on educating and preparing consumers for the DTV transition. This transition will allow essential radio spectrum to be devoted to emergency interoperable communications for police, firemen, paramedics, and other first responders. The DTV transition also will allow for higher quality television pictures and sounds than analog technology currently in use.

 

###