CES 2009: FCC’s Martin Says Keep Feb. 17 DTV Deadline

By TWICE Staff -- TWICE, January 10, 2009

LAS VEGAS — Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Kevin Martin said the Feb. 17 analog cutoff date should not be changed even though the incoming Barack Obama administration’s transition team wants the date pushed back an indeterminate time.

In a one-on-one session with interviewer Gary Shapiro, president/CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, yesterday, Martin said, “It’s important to solve the problems with the coupon problem without moving the date.” Although he noted Congress has the power to change the cutoff deadline at any time, the outgoing chairman said the No. 1 complaint he heard after the September Wilmington, N.C., cutoff was the fact converter-box coupons expired after 90 days.

He felt this statutory deadline should be eliminated and more resources added to program. “This will help immensely,” Martin added.

He said Wilmington consumers also reported even though they had heard the broadcast public service announcements, they didn’t believe the cutoff was going to happen. And if the date is moved, even more consumers won’t believe it will happen. “They’ll think we’re only kidding.”  Shapiro asked rhetorically: “Is this the kind of change we can believe in?”

Martin also pointed out many local stations have antenna and other infrastructure construction projects geared for Feb. 17 and wondered how a delay would impact the nation’s broadcasters.

Shapiro then added most converter-box manufacturers have finished production. Martin did stress the commission wanted everyone to take advantage of the benefits of digital television and everything possible should be done to help — other than changing the date.

During the wide-ranging interview and follow-up Q&A session, Martin noted he was still frustrated about rising cable rates and about the limitations cable companies placed on their Tru2way protocols. He envisioned a future where consumers could access all types of Internet-delivered video and that would be integrated with interactive cable guides and pay-per-view.

The chairman wasn’t apologetic about the delay of the XM/Sirius merger, pointing out it was an extremely complex situation and consumers were better off with the combined provider given the price controls won by the commission.

He also wasn’t apologetic about using the FCC to protect children from indecent materials and on-air violence; he even raised the issue of childhood obesity and junk-food ads targeted to young kids as an appropriate issue for the commission. Martin also wanted the FCC to use its power to make sure all American’s had access to broadband services, even those in rural areas. He was excited about the potential for the rollout of wireless broadband technology across the country over the next five years and added he didn’t believe the Internet should be rated, as some in Congress have suggested.

Shapiro ended the session by asking if Martin had any advice for Julius Genachowski, reportedly in line to be the next FCC chairman. “Be prepared to make the hard decisions,” Martin said.