The Digital Television Transition: Government and Industry Perspectives
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S. HRG. 110–1182 THE DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION: GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION OCTOBER 17, 2007 Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 76–548 PDF WASHINGTON : 2012 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Nov 24 2008 11:37 Nov 09, 2012 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\GPO\DOCS\76548.TXT JACKIE SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii, Chairman JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia TED STEVENS, Alaska, Vice Chairman JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota TRENT LOTT, Mississippi BARBARA BOXER, California KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas BILL NELSON, Florida OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine MARIA CANTWELL, Washington GORDON H. SMITH, Oregon FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada MARK PRYOR, Arkansas JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware JIM DEMINT, South Carolina CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri DAVID VITTER, Louisiana AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota JOHN THUNE, South Dakota MARGARET L. CUMMISKY, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel LILA HARPER HELMS, Democratic Deputy Staff Director and Policy Director CHRISTINE D. KURTH, Republican Staff Director and General Counsel PAUL NAGLE, Republican Chief Counsel (II) VerDate Nov 24 2008 11:37 Nov 09, 2012 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\76548.TXT JACKIE C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held on October 17, 2007 .......................................................................... 1 Statement of Senator Dorgan ................................................................................. 29 Statement of Senator Hutchison ............................................................................ 2 Statement of Senator Inouye .................................................................................. 1 Statement of Senator Klobuchar ............................................................................ 26 Statement of Senator McCaskill ............................................................................. 24 Statement of Senator Pryor .................................................................................... 3 Statement of Senator Stevens ................................................................................ 2 Executive Order 13073, effective date February 4, 1998 .............................. 22 Statement of Senator Thune ................................................................................... 86 WITNESSES Adelstein, Hon. Jonathan S., Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission ........................................................................................................... 11 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 13 Gieselman, Jon, Senior Vice President, Advertising and Public Relations, DIRECTV, Inc. ..................................................................................................... 57 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 58 Kneuer, Hon. John M.R., Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Communications and Information, National Telecommunications Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce ........................................................................... 3 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 6 Lawson, John M., President and CEO, The Association of Public Television Stations ................................................................................................................. 45 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 46 McSlarrow, Kyle E., President and CEO, National Cable & Telecommuni- cations Association ............................................................................................... 42 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 43 Pearl, Marc A., Executive Director, Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition . 63 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 65 Rehr, David K., President and CEO, National Association of Broadcasters, ..... 32 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 34 APPENDIX Letter, dated October 16, 2007, to Hon. Kevin J. Martin, from Michael Vitelli, Senior Vice President, Merchandising and Paula Prahl, Vice President, Public Affairs, Best Buy Co., Inc. ....................................................................... 105 Letter, dated October 16, 2007, to Hon. Kevin J. Martin, from Nathan K. Garvis, Vice President, Government Affairs, Target Corporation ................... 107 Letter, dated October 16, 2007, to Hon. Kevin J. Martin, from Reginald D. Hedgebeth, Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary, Circuit City Stores, Inc. .................................................................................................... 108 Response to written questions submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to: Hon. Jonathan S. Adelstein ............................................................................. 93 Jon Gieselman .................................................................................................. 101 Hon. John M.R. Kneuer ................................................................................... 92 John M. Lawson ............................................................................................... 99 Kyle E. McSlarrow ........................................................................................... 98 Marc A. Pearl .................................................................................................... 103 David K. Rehr ................................................................................................... 95 (III) VerDate Nov 24 2008 11:37 Nov 09, 2012 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\76548.TXT JACKIE IV Page Response to written questions submitted by Hon. Daniel K. Inouye to: Hon. Jonathan S. Adelstein ............................................................................. 92 Jon Gieselman .................................................................................................. 100 Hon. John M.R. Kneuer ................................................................................... 91 John M. Lawson ............................................................................................... 98 Kyle E. McSlarrow ........................................................................................... 96 Marc A. Pearl .................................................................................................... 101 David K. Rehr ................................................................................................... 94 Response to written questions submitted by Hon. John D. Rockefeller IV to: Kyle E. McSlarrow ........................................................................................... 97 David K. Rehr ................................................................................................... 94 VerDate Nov 24 2008 11:37 Nov 09, 2012 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\GPO\DOCS\76548.TXT JACKIE THE DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION: GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2007 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:35 p.m. in room SR–253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Daniel K. Inouye, Chairman of the Committee, presiding. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. DANIEL K. INOUYE, U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII The CHAIRMAN. The hearing will come to order. I’m sorry I’m a bit late, but his holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama received the Congressional Gold Medal and the ceremony just ended. February 17, 2009, that’s a date that we must all remember. A revolution is coming to TV sets across this country, because in fewer than 500 days TV broadcasters will switch from analog to digital signals. This change holds tremendous promise. Viewers can expect sharper pictures, crisper sound, and whole new channels through multicasting. The switch to digital also means more spec- trum for our Nation’s first responders. These are all good things. Like with many revolutions, however, these rewards come with an undercurrent of risk. As many as 21 million households rely exclusively on over-the-air TV. If their sets go dark, they’ll be disconnected from news, public safety announce- ments, and community information. To prevent this from hap- pening, we have task forces, expos, workshops, and an industry-led publicity campaign. Despite these efforts, the American public is still not well educated about the transition, the coupon program, where to find boxes, and how to attach them to their sets. In too many ways, our transition from analog can go askance. In- stead of a digital revolution, we may find ourselves