Fergie's Tech Blog

McCain Stakes Claim on DTV Transition Bill

Susan Kuchinskas writes in internetnews.com:

Former Senate Commerce Chairman John McCain trumped his Republican colleagues earlier this week by introducing actual legislation setting a hard date of Jan. 1, 2009, for the United States to cease analog television broadcasting.

Parts of the vacated spectrum could then be dedicated to first responders for emergency services and the rest auctioned off for as much as $30 billion to wireless broadband providers.

Last week, current Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) said his staff was preparing legislation to put a DTV transition bill on President Bush's desk by the end of the year. However, he has been vague on the details of the complex transition, and Stevens has yet to produce the bill.

McCain's legislation, though, comes fully loaded with details, most of which were rejected by his fellow Republican majority members just a year ago.

posted by Fergie @ 6/17/2005 06:35:00 AM