Summary

Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) new rule on broadcast services, television broadcast stations, and TV transmission standards. GAO found that the: (1) rule would add a transmission standard for digital broadcast television signals to the FCC's rules so as to provide the certainty broadcasters, equipment manufacturers, and consumers need to invest in the new technology; (2) rule does not mandate conversion to digital television, but does require that digital signals that are transmitted conform to certain specified standards; and (3) FCC complied with applicable requirements in promulgating the rule.