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Thedigital television transition in the United States was the switchover fromanalog to exclusivelydigital broadcasting ofterrestrial television programming. It was originally set for between December 31, 2006 and January 1, 2007, but was delayed several times due to multiple government acts being enforced on broadcasting companies. Full-power analog broadcasting ceased in most of the country on June 12, 2009, however, various aspects of analog television were continued up until 2022.
The initial plans for the transition in 2006 were stipulated by theTelecommunications Act of 1996.[1] However, this was put off by theDigital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005, under which full-power broadcasting of analog television in the United States was set to have ceased after February 17, 2009. This was further delayed to June 12, 2009, after the passage of theDTV Delay Act on February 4, 2009.[2][3] The delay to June 12 was to assist households on a waiting list forcoupons for digital converter boxes, funding for which was provided by theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
While full-power broadcasting ceased on June 12, 2009, 120 full-power stations would maintain a "nightlight" service (underSAFER Act provisions) usually displaying a program about the DTV transition, ending no later than July 12, 2009.[4]Low-power broadcasting would continue for some time. Initially scheduled to shut down on September 1, 2015, the conversion date was delayed to July 13, 2021, before finally being completed on January 10, 2022, due to several factors affecting Alaska's conversion to digital television.[5][6][7][8] An attempt was made in 2007 to extend analog services by another five years in areas within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the Mexican border, but it was unsuccessful.[9]
In preparation for the end of analog services, all new television devices that receive signals over-the-air, including pocket-sizedportable televisions, personal computervideo capture card tuners, andDVD recorders, had been required to include digitalATSC tuners since March 1, 2007.[10]
Following the analog switch-off, the FCC reallocated channels 52 through 69 (the 700MHz band) for other communications traffic,[11] completing the reallocation of broadcast channels 52–69 that began in the late 1990s. These channels wereauctioned off in early 2008, with the winning bidders taking possession of them in June 2009. Four channels from this portion of the broadcast spectrum (60, 61, 68, and 69) were held for reallocation to public safety communications (such as police, fire, and emergency rescue). Some of the remaining freed up frequencies were used for advanced commercial wireless services for consumers, such asQualcomm's planned use of former UHF channel 55 for itsMediaFLO service.[12][13]
According to David Rehr, then president and CEO of theNational Association of Broadcasters, this transition represented "the most significant advancement of television technology since color TV was introduced."[14] The then-newFCC chairmanJulius Genachowski said on June 30, 2009, that the transition had "succeeded far beyond expectations", but his predecessorMichael Copps said that the transition led to a "significant impact on consumers" and that it was "not a closed book".
As part of a test by the FCC to iron out transition and reception concerns before the nationwide shutoff, all of the major commercial network stations in theWilmington, North Carolina market ceased transmission of their analog signals on September 8, 2008, making it the first market in the nation to go digital-only. Wilmington was chosen as the test city in part because the area's digital channel positions would remain unchanged after the transition.[15] Wilmington was also appropriate because it had no hills to cause reception problems and all of the stations would have UHF channels.[16]
The low-powerCBS affiliateWILM-LD signed on its new digital signal in time for the transition. The test excludedUNC-TV/PBS stationWUNJ, which kept their analog signal on, as they were the official conduit of emergency information in the area.[17]
Viewers were notified of the change by months of public service announcements, town hall meetings, and local news coverage. Only 7% of viewers were affected by the loss of analog broadcasts, the remainder subscribing to cable or satellite services, but this produced 1,800 calls to the FCC for assistance. Officials were concerned by the implications of this for larger markets or those where reliance on over-the-air broadcasts exceeds 30%.[18]
While many calls from viewers were straightforward questions about the installation of antennas and converters, or the need to scan for channels before being able to watch digital television, hundreds more were from viewers who had installed converters and UHF antennas correctly but had still lost existing channels. Most affected were full-power broadcasters which had been onlow-VHF channels.WECT (NBC 6 Wilmington), a signal which in its analog form reached the edge ofMyrtle Beach, could no longer be received by many who had watched the station for years—a victim of a move to UHF 44 at a different transmitter site. WECT's coverage area had been substantially reduced; for many who were on the fringes of the analog NBC 6 signal, WECT was no longer accessible.[19] However, weeks before, new digital-onlyWMBF-TV, a new NBC affiliate, came to the air to serve Myrtle Beach with a city-grade signal; like WECT, WMBF was owned byRaycom Media at the time.[citation needed]
On November 7, 2008, the FCC issued an order allowingdistributed transmission systems (DTS) to be constructed by stations that otherwise cannot cover their original analog footprint with their new digital channels and facilities.[20] While broadcasters may now apply for DTS facilities, this decision was made far too late to allow the extra transmitter sites to be constructed and operational before the original February 17, 2009, analog shutoff.[21]
On February 8, 2006, President George W. Bush signed theDeficit Reduction Act of 2005 bill to end analog television by February 17, 2009.[22]
Digital TV encoding allows stations to offer higher definition video and better sound quality than analog, as well as allowing the option of programming multipledigital subchannels (multicasting). However, it provides these advantages at the cost of a severe limitation of broadcast range.[citation needed]
Digital signals do not have "grade B" signal areas, and are either "in perfectly" or "not in at all". Further, since most stations have preferred to use UHF rather than older VHF channel allocations, their actual broadcast range is far less than it was previously. Viewers in major metropolitan areas will likely not notice problems; however, rural TV users have generally had most or all of the stations they previously received with acceptable but not "perfect" signals fall over thedigital cliff (where analog signals slowly degrade over long distances rather than digital suddenly cutting off when out of range).[citation needed]
Lastly, many low-power broadcasters have been temporarily permitted to transmit in analog for several years.[23]
Although theUnited Kingdom spent the equivalent of more than a billion dollars educating about 60 million people, theNational Telecommunications and Information Administration had received $5 million a year before the original transition date of February 17, 2009, and the FCC had received $2.5 million and was scheduled to receive $20 million more later in the year, for 300 million people, requiring voluntary education campaigns.[24] It was also noted thatlow-income,elderly,disabled,inner city, immigrants, and rural Americans were targeted the most, because these groups mainly watched analog antenna TV more than any other groups.[25]
While broadcasters were forced byFederal Communications Commission regulations to devote the equivalent of more than a billion dollars' worth of airtime topublic service announcements regarding the digital transition, the amount of information conveyed in these short advertisements was by necessity limited. Both the on-air announcements and government-funded telephone hotlines receiving viewer inquiries directed consumers to Internet sites to seek information,[26] at a time when most affected were not familiar with the Internet.[citation needed]
After the switch, consumers' old analog televisions, VCRs, DVRs, and other devices which lacked a digital tuner no longer received over-the-air television. Though previously recorded content can still be replayed, new content cannot be accessed.[27] The one, direct solution to the problem was to buy an external tuner (called aconverter box) that receives DTV signals directly and converts them to analog for the television, VCR, or other analog device.[28] Another solution was the use of a cable TV or satellite TV service, as these providers handled the necessary conversion within their respective systems and could provide the analog signal these older analog devices required.
Users of analog VCRs, DVRs, or other recording devices which lacked a digital tuner had the unique problem of no longer being able to record programs across multiple channels. In order to record multiple DTV channels, the viewer had to use an external tuner box and set the device to record the output from that box, typically L-1 for the line input. Some manufacturers sold external converter boxes or tuners that automatically changed channels at preset times. The analog VCR or DVR may record at preset times, but will continue recording the L-1 line input, which would be the same channel unless the channel is manually changed.
Alternatively, the user may purchase a new TV, DVR, or DVD recorder with a built-in digital tuner. However, these newer technologies have their own drawbacks, such as being limited to only 1–2 hours with high-quality XP mode (DVD-R).[29]
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A major concern is that the broadcast technology used for ATSC signals called8VSB has problems receiving signals inside buildings and in urban areas, largely due tomultipath reception issues which causeghosting andfading on analog images, but can also lead to intermittent signal or no reception at all on ATSC programs.[30] DTV broadcasts exhibit adigital cliff effect, by which viewers will receive either a perfect signal or no signal at all with little or no middle ground. Digital transmissions do contain additional data bits to provideerror correction for a finite number ofbit errors; once signal quality degrades beyond that point, recovery of the original digital signal becomes impossible, and the image on the screen freezes, or blinks back and forth to and from a completely black image.
The maximum power forDTV broadcast classes is also substantially lower; one-fifth of the legal limits for the former full-power analog services. This is because there are only eight different states in which an 8VSB signal can be in at any one moment; thus, like all digital transmissions, very little signal is required at the receiver in order to decode it. Nonetheless, this limit is often too low for many stations to reach many rural areas, which was an alleged benefit in the FCC's choice of ATSC and 8VSB over worldwide-standardDVB-T and itsCOFDMmodulation. Additionally, without thehierarchical modulation of DVB, signal loss is complete, and there is no switch to a lower resolution before this occurs.
A hundred-kW analog station onTV channels2 to 6 would therefore be faced with the choice of either lowering its power by 80% (to the twenty-kilowatt limit of low-VHF DTV) or abandoning a frequency which it occupied since the 1950s in order to transmit more power (up to 1000 kW) on the less-crowdedUHF TV band. Such stations can keep the same channel number, however, because of ATSCvirtual channels. The higher frequencies are challenged in areas where signals must travel great distances or encounter significant terrestrial obstacles. Most stations in the low-VHF (channels 2–6) did not return to these frequencies after the transition. About 40 stations remained in the low-VHF after the transition, with the majority in smaller markets (with a few notable exceptions).[31] The FCC has long discouraged the digital allocation on low-VHF channels for several reasons: higher ambient noise, interference withFM radio (channel 6 borders FM at 88 MHz), and larger antenna size required for these channels.[32][33] After the transition, many viewers using "high-definition" antennas have reported problems receiving stations that broadcast on VHF channels.[34] This is because some of the new antennas marketed as "HDTV antennas" from manufacturers such asChannel Master were only designed for channels 7–51 and are more compact than their channel 2–69 counterparts. These manufacturers did not anticipate widespread continued use of the relatively longerwavelength low-VHF channels.
Stations that broadcast in analog on channel 6 have had an additional benefit of having their audio feed broadcast on 87.7 MHz, which is at the very low end of theFM radio dial. As such, many stations that use channel 6 have taken advantage of this, and directly promote this feature, especially duringdrive time newscasts, and as a critical conduit of information in markets where severe weather (such ashurricanes) allowed a station the advantage to broadcast their audio via FM radio without having to contract with another FM operation to do so.WDSU in New Orleans, Miami'sWTVJ andWECT inWilmington, North Carolina were among the most well-known Channel 6 broadcasters which used this approach to provide emergency information during hurricanes.
Digital television, however, does not have this feature, and after the transition, this additional method of reception is no longer available.WRGB, channel 6 inAlbany, New York, used a separate transmitter on 87.7 that transmitted a verticallypolarized analog audio signal, which would theoretically avoid interference with the horizontally polarized digital TV signal. This would allow the station to keep its audio on 87.7 FM after the transition to digital.[35] WRGB ran this transmitter for approximately 6 weeks on an experimental basis, only to find that the vertically polarized 87.7 MHz signal interfered with the digital video, while broadcast of analog signals on 87.9 MHz was met with FCC objections.WITI inMilwaukee took a more direct, though still experimental, approach to restore their TV audio, having it restored in August 2009 to anHD Radio subchannel ofWMIL-FM via a content agreement with WMIL ownerClear Channel Communications. A purchase of HD Radio equipment or having a car stereo equipped with an HD Radio receiver is required to listen to this broadcast.
Planning for DTV reception assumed "a properly oriented, high-gain antenna mounted 30 feet in the air outside."[36] TheConsumer Electronics Association set up a website calledAntennaWeb to identify the means needed to provide the correct signal reception to over-the-air viewers. Another website,TVFool provides geographic mapping and signal data to allow viewers to estimate the number of channels which will be gained or lost as a result of digital transition; while it estimated that marginally more stations would be gained than lost by viewers, this varied widely with viewers of low-VHF analog signals in distant-fringe areas among the most adversely affected. An estimated 1.8 million people were expected to lose the ability to access over-the-air TV entirely as a result of the digital transition.
Viewers in rural and mountainous regions were particularly prone to lose all reception after digital transition.[37]
U.S. markets which have presented unique problems for digital transition include:
There are 80media markets in which more than 100,000 households receive television signals by over-the-air broadcasts.[18]
The reclaimed channels were to be used for a variety of mobile services, including mobile phones, the now-defunctMediaFLO (55), and public safety (63/64base, 68/69 mobile). Most of this mobile spectrum has been sold to existing incumbent providers, withAT&T Mobility andVerizon as the largest bidders (seeUnited States 2008 wireless spectrum auction).[citation needed]
The elimination of UHF channels, rather than VHF channels as in the rest of the world, precludes the use ofband III (high VHF) forDigital Audio Broadcasting as is used in a few other countries. It also makes the reassignment ofchannels 5 and6 (76 to 88MHz) to expand the FM radio broadcast band more difficult.[47] There are no channels set aside for analog broadcasts of theEmergency Alert System, rendering most portable emergencyTV sets useless. While a small number of portable ATSC sets have started to appear, these are costly.[48] A portable converter box (such as Winegard's RCDT09A) would require a bulky external battery, andmobile ATSC is not yet available. Another option would be getting aUSB-basedTV tuner card for theirlaptop computer, which in addition to its low costs became a popular option afterMicrosoft releasedWindows 7 four months after the DTV transition ended.[citation needed]
AGoogle-sponsored program calledFree the Airwaves sought to use the "empty"white spacewithin the remaining TV for unlicensed use, like forWi-Fi.[49]
In March 2008, the FCC requested public comment on turning the bandwidth currently occupied by analog television channels 5 and 6 (76–88 MHz) over to extending the FM broadcast band when the digital television transition was to be completed in February 2009 (ultimately delayed to June 2009).[50] This proposed allocation would effectively assign frequencies corresponding to the existing Japanese FM radio service (which begins at 76 MHz) for use as an extension to the existing North American FM broadcast band.[citation needed]
On August 22, 2011, theUnited States'Federal Communications Commission announced a freeze on all future applications for broadcast stations requesting to use channel 51,[51] to preventadjacent-channel interference (ACI) to the A-Block of the 700MHz band. Later that year (on December 16, 2011),Industry Canada and theCRTC followed suit in placing a moratorium on future television stations usingChannel 51 for broadcast use, to prevent ACI to the A-Block of the 700MHz band.[52]
Now that the switch from analog to digital broadcasts is complete, analog TVs are incapable of receiving over-the-air broadcasts without the addition of a set-top converter box. Consequently, a digital-to-analog converter, an electronic device that connects to ananalog television, must be used in order to allow the television to receivedigital broadcasts.[53] The box may also be called a "set-top" converter, "digital TV adapter" (DTA), or "digital set-top box" (DSTB).[54]
To assist consumers through the conversion, theDepartment of Commerce through itsNational Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) division handled requests from households for up to two $40 coupons for digital-to-analog converter boxes[55] beginning January 1, 2008, via a toll-free number or a website.[56][57] The program was paid for with a small part of the $20 billion taken in from the DTV spectrum auction. However, these government coupons were limited to an initial sum of $890 million (22.25 million coupons) with the option to grow to $1.34 billion (33.5 million coupons),[58] which is far short of the estimated 112 million households (224 million redeemable coupons) in the United States.[59] Nevertheless, not every household took advantage of the offer, as reports indicate half of all households already had at least one digital TV.[60] In January 2009, the NTIA began placing coupon requests on a waiting list after the program reached its maximum allowed funding. New requests for coupons were fulfilled only after unredeemed coupons expired.[61]
These coupons could be redeemed toward the purchase of a digital-to-analog converter atbrick and mortar, online, and telephone retailers that had completed the NTIA certification process.[62] Retail prices for the boxes range from $40 to $70 (plus tax and shipping); after applying the coupons, the price to the consumer would be between $5 and $40 per box. Because it was actually used as apayment, despite the name "coupon", consumers paid state and localsales tax on the coupon amount, which in effect reduced its value by about $3 (based on 7.5% tax).[63]
There has been possible evidence that the presence of the government coupon program had inflated the prices of converter boxes by between $21 and $34 above what they would be otherwise.[64] These converter boxes require royalties to be paid to license the MPEG-2 and ATSC patents, which may contribute to their costs (for example, the royalties for ATSC were $5 per receiver).[65]
.svg) | |
| Long title | An act to postpone the DTV transition date. |
|---|---|
| Enacted by | the111th United States Congress |
| Effective | February 11, 2009 |
| Citations | |
| Public law | 111-4 |
| Statutes at Large | 123 Stat. 112–114 |
| Codification | |
| U.S.C. sections amended | 47 U.S.C. § 309 47 U.S.C. § 337 |
| Legislative history | |
| |
On January 21, 2009, SenatorJay Rockefeller introduced a bill in the Senate titled the DTV Delay Act because millions of Americans would not be ready for the cutoff on February 17 due to a shortage of converter box coupons, and proposed that the transition date be moved to June 12.[66] Rockefeller, chairman of theCommittee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Sen.Kay Bailey Hutchison, worked together on the bill. Hutchison supported the idea because Rockefeller did not intend to ask for another postponement. On January 22,The Nielsen Company said 6.5 million Americans had not prepared for the switch. Opponents pointed out that TV stations would face extra operating expenses, and those who paid to use the spectrum to be made available would have to wait.
Under later amendments, stations could choose to end analog broadcasts before June 12 even if the bill passed, and any frequencies freed up by such action could be used byfire andpolice departments and otheremergency services. Those whose converter box coupons had expired would be allowed to apply for new coupons. The House postponed a similar bill (byHouse Energy and Commerce Committee ChairmanHenry Waxman), until the Senate's version was complete.[67][68]
The Senate unanimously voted on January 26, 2009, to delay the digital TV transition to June 12, 2009.[69] However, the House of Representatives voted on and defeated a similar measure on January 28.[68] Rep.Joe Barton led the movement in the House to defeat the measure, saying that "the DTV transition is neither stuck nor broke", and that any problems with the DTV transition can be fixed.[70] Barton also said, "I guarantee you, no matter when you set the date— February 17, June 12, July the Fourth, Valentine's Day— there are going to be some people that aren't ready."[71][72]
On January 29, the DTV Delay Act passed in the Senate.[73][74] On February 4, the House also approved this measure.[75][76][77]
The bill was submitted to President Obama on February 4, who did not immediately sign it into law. On February 9, President Obama posted the bill onwhitehouse.gov, giving the public five days to weigh in on it. Under a midnight February 10 deadline imposed by the FCC, broadcasters disclosed whether they would still cease broadcasting analog signals on the original date of February 17, or if they would delay until June 12, should the DTV Delay Act be signed into law.[78] On February 10, the FCC published the list. 491 stations stated they intended to transition on February 17. The FCC reserved final say on which stations would be allowed to transition on February 17 and which ones would be required to continue analog broadcasts, depending on how many viewers in each market have been determined not ready for the transition.[3][76][79][80]MostO&O stations of six major networks (ABC,CBS,Fox,NBC,Univision, andTelemundo, plusThe CW,MyNetworkTV,TeleFutura, andindependent stations), as well as the station groups ofGannett,Hearst-Argyle, andMeredith, committed to keeping all or most of their analog signals active until the new June 12 cutoff date.[81][82] On February 11, 2009, President Obama signed the bill into law, officially moving the cutoff date to June 12, 2009.[2] In total, 191 stations already had turned off their analog transmitters for good.[79]
On February 20, 2009, the FCC released an order stating that stations that wish to go all digital before the final June 12, 2009, date must inform the FCC of that decision by March 17, 2009.[83][84]
While 93 large-city networkowned and operated stations (controlled byCBS,ABC,NBC,Fox, andUnivision) would continue analog broadcasts until June 12,[85] many small-market broadcasters were unable to justify the extra cost, with non-commercial and independent stations heavily adversely affected. No funding was provided to reimburse broadcasters who incurred additional costs due to the DTV Delay Act.[citation needed]
Public Broadcasting Service CEO Paula Kerger had estimated a $22 million cost to the nation's PBS member stations to extend simulcasting until June 12;[86] more than a hundred PBS stations ultimately elected to stick to the original deadline.[87] Some individual commercial station groups, most notablySinclair Broadcast Group andGray Television, shut down the vast majority of their analog signals on the original deadline. Others left the question to their individual local stations. Many local markets, ranging fromBurlington, Vermont andSioux City, Iowa[88] to San Diego,[89] lost analog signals from most or all major U.S. stations. Some stations in coastal regions such asFort Myers, Florida had chosen not to wait until June 12 so as to ensure the transition was complete beforehurricane season.[90]
In some cases, theFederal Communications Commission forced stations to continue full-power analog broadcast of at least a local newscast and information on the digital transition for an additional sixty days—a costly move for independent affected broadcasters. Of the 491 stations which had indicated their intention to go digital-only in February 2009,[91] 123 affiliates of four major U.S. commercial networks (ABC,CBS,Fox,NBC) were targeted byFederal Communications Commission opposition, precluding or applying additional restrictions to the shutdown of their analog signals[92] in markets where the only analog service remaining after the February 17 shutdown would have been an independent or educational broadcaster, an adjacent-market station or a low-power station.[93][94] Of approximately 1,800 U.S. full-service TV stations, an additional 190 were already digital-only before February 2009; these included Hawaii (digital since January 2009),Zanesville, Ohio (digital since July 2008), andWilmington, North Carolina (the FCC's 2008 digital test market), as well as some new stations and a few broadcasters forced to shut down analog early due to technical problems.[citation needed]
On April 12, Nielsen estimated that 3.6 million households remained unready;[95] key problem markets (according to FCC and NTIA) includedAlbuquerque,Baltimore,Cleveland,Dallas–Fort Worth,Denver,Fresno,Houston,Brownsville,Indianapolis, Los Angeles,Minneapolis–St. Paul,Phoenix,Portland, Oregon,Tulsa,Sacramento,St. Louis, theSan Francisco Bay Area,Salt Lake City, andSeattle.
On February 11, 2009, the FCC announced it would allow 368 of the 491 applied stations to go all-digital on the original February 17 date, 100 of which will be allowed to use their analog signal to inform unprepared viewers of the new transition date, or for emergency situations such as severe weather (called "nightlighting"). The FCC concluded that the other 123 stations who applied present a "significant risk of substantial public harm," if they go all digital on February 17. The FCC stated "We considered the presence of major networks and their affiliates critical to ensuring that viewers have access to local news and public affairs available over the air because the major network affiliates are the primary source of local broadcast news and public affairs programming". The FCC would not permit the 123 stations in "at-risk" markets to proceed unless they had certified with the agency by 6 pmET on February 13 that they comply with eight additional requirements, including ensuring that at least one station that is currently providing analog service to an area within the DMA provides DTV transition and emergency information, as well as local news and public affairs programming ("enhanced nightlight" service) for at least 60 days following February 17.[80][96][97][98]
On February 13, the FCC said 53 of the applied 106 at risk stations had qualified to go all digital on February 17. The other 43 qualified for nightlight service; 10 others could not comply with the nightlight clause. The total number of stations which became digital only on February 17 was 421.[99][100]
House RepublicanJoe Barton from Texas, who strongly opposed the DTV Delay Act, introduced a bill that would insert $650 million in DTV transition assistance into The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to be used for making more converter box coupons available and for DTV education, which was strongly supported by theObama administration.[68][101] The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 passed with this revision in the House with a vote of 244–188 on January 28, 2009,[102][103]and the Senate passed the bill on February 10 by a vote of 61–37.[104]
Congressional negotiators announced on February 11, 2009, that they had reached agreement on a $789 billion economic stimulus bill.[105] President Obama signed the final $787 billion version into law on February 17, 2009, in Denver, Colorado.[106] The final version included the DTV provisions.[107]
While the economic stimulus bill did allow additional funds for coupons, there was also a risk that available retail stock of the converter boxes themselves could prove inadequate. TheConsumer Electronics Association had estimated three to six million boxes remained in-stock at the beginning of February 2009;Nielsen Media Research reported five million households as "completely unready" for digital transition in this same time period. The average U.S. household used 3 television screens.[108]However, the converter box coupon program only allowed 2 coupons per household.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 also allocated funds for expert installation services for those switching to DTV.[109]
The FCC awarded the contract to several companies to provide expert installation services.[110]
On May 1, 2009,Nielsen Media Research reported that 3.1% of Americans were still completely unprepared for the transition.[111] On June 11, 2009, one day before the analog shutoff, theNational Association of Broadcasters reported that 1.75 million Americans were still not ready.[112]
971 TV stations made the final switch to digital on June 12. It was believedAlbuquerque,Santa Fe,Austin, andDallas would be the least prepared markets, but this turned out not to be the case, as most of the difficulties were in the Northeast, primarily with stations that changed their digital frequencies from UHF to VHF.[citation needed]
On June 13, 2009, the FCC said their help line, with about 4,000 answering phones, received 317,450 calls on June 12. About one-third of callers still needed converter boxes, and one-fifth had reception problems. Acting FCC chairMichael Copps said, "Our job is far from over. This transition is not a one-day affair."[113]
In New York City, about 11,000 people called the FCC for assistance, the most of any market. The other areas from which the most calls to the FCC were made: Chicago (6526), Los Angeles (5473),Dallas–Fort Worth (5473), andPhiladelphia (3749). Around 900,000 calls were received in total.[citation needed]
The National Association of Broadcasters said 278 TV stations received 35,500 calls, but most callers merely needed to rescan.[citation needed]
The Commerce Department said 319,900 households requested converter box coupons on June 11, almost four times the average of the previous month.
SmithGeiger LLC said 2.2 million homes were not ready, while Nielsen said the number was 2.8 million. This included homes which had requested coupons.[114] On June 14, Nielsen said the number was 2.5 million, or 2.2 percent of homes. That number was down to 2.1 million, or 1.8 percent, by June 21,[115] and 1.7 million, or 1.5 percent, a week later.[116] One month after the transition, the number was 1.5 million, 1.3 percent,[117] and after nearly 2 months, the number was down to just over one million, or 1.1 percent.[118] As of August 30, 2009, the number was 710,000, as 572,000 had upgraded in August and 1.8 million since June 12.[119]
In some cases where digital frequencies moved, people have been advised not only to re-scan but to "double-scan", in order to clear outdated information from the digital TV or converter box memory.[120]
Calls to the FCC decreased from 43,000 a day in the week ending June 15 to 21,000 the next week. Reception problems, representing nearly a third of calls at first, were down to one-fifth.[121]
On June 15, 2009, U.S. RepresentativePeter DeFazio, anOregonDemocrat, introduced the House version of TheDigital TV Transition Fairness Act, which SenatorBernie Sanders introduced in December 2008. It would requirevideo service providers to offer a $10 basic package to anyone who lost at least one channel to the DTV conversion (with broadcasters waiving fees), pay for outdoor antennas (including installation) and extend the converter box program beyond July 31.[122][123] It did not pass.[citation needed]
One of the most common problems was the return toVHF frequencies by stations that had used them when they were analog. Over 480 stations were broadcasting digitally on the VHF spectrum after the transition, up from only 216 on the frequencies before. Many antennas marketed for digital TV are designed forUHF, which most digital stations use. VHF analog signals travel further than UHF signals, but watchable VHF digital signals appear to have a more limited range than UHF with the lower power they are assigned, and they do not penetrate buildings as well, especially in larger cities.[124][125] Mike Doback, vice president of engineering forScripps Television, said, "It's only now that we've found out the planning factors were probably wrong in terms of how much power you need to replicate analog service."[126] According to TV consultant Peter Putman, the problem with VHF reception is that VHF antennas must be large to be effective, and indoor antennas do not perform well enough. In addition, channels 2 through 6 are more susceptible to many types of interference.[16] Richard Mertz of Cavell, Mertz & Associates says multipath interference inside the house is also a factor. Some receivers can deal with this problem better than others, but there are no standards. And with amplified antennas or amplifiers, it is possible to overload a converter box. Amplifiers can also cause noise that is interpreted as data.[36]Raycom Media Chief Technology Officer Dave Folsom said, "There's nothing inherently wrong with VHF. It's just easier to have interference, because it goes out further."[126]
The FCC sent extra personnel to Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City to deal with difficulties in those cities.WLS-TV had received 1,735 calls just by the end of the day on June 12, and an estimated 5,000 calls in total by June 16. WLS-TV is just one station which may solve its problems by increasing its signal strength, but doing this required making sure no other stations were affected.[127] A low-power analog station, not required to shut down after 30 days like other nightlight stations, aired newscasts that could not be seen by a number of people after the transition, while the stations attempted to solve problems.[128]
In Philadelphia, most of the problems were withWPVI-TV, which had the area's leading news program, and public stationWHYY-TV. Many people having trouble with those stations could pick up stations fromReading andAtlantic City.[129] Unlike WLS, WPVI had concerns about increasing its signal because of potential interference to other stations and toFM radio.
In New York City, many called the FCC because they lived in apartment buildings with a single roof antenna which was not suitable for digital reception. The city reported antenna shortages and numerous requests for cable service.[120]
By the end of June, four stations had received permission to increase power. Ten other stations asked for power increases as well, but these were not in major cities; instead, the markets were in rural or mountainous areas such asMontana,Virginia, andAlabama.[130]KNMD-TV inSanta Fe tried an alternate VHF channel.[131]
The FCC had two concerns about the requests for more power: some stations just wanted a competitive advantage and were not actually experiencing difficulties. Other stations wanted UHF frequencies instead because UHF worked better withmobile digital TV. However, some stations with legitimate problems had asked to return to their UHF frequencies.[130]
Two months after the transition, "two or three-dozen" stations continued to have problems.[132] Three months after the transition, about 50 stations had applied for a power increase.[16]
"Approximately a half-dozen stations" were still deciding at the end of October about what to do.[133] In some of the cases where stations returned to UHF, interference to nearby stations prevented a power increase.[citation needed]
Ironically,KUAC-TV inFairbanks, Alaska moved from channel 24 back to channel 9 in September 2009. The area never had UHF before DTV, so most people had VHF antennas, while few people lived in apartment buildings. The higher power needed for UHF cost too much, and channel 24 had signal problems, so the station asked to move back.[citation needed]
Of the 79 stations asking for a new channel, 22 wanted to go from VHF to UHF, and 10 wanted to go from UHF to VHF.[126]
On June 30, 2009, his first full day as FCC Chairman,Julius Genachowski said in a speech that the transition "succeeded far beyond expectations. You pulled it off by working collaboratively with each other across the agency, and with the Commerce Department and other parts of government, and by thinking creatively to leverage all available resources."[134]
Still, the FCC planned a report on how well the transition went, and Genachowski admitted more work was needed.[121]
Genachowski's predecessor Michael Copps called the process
A huge transition with significant impact on consumers that was not until the last moment adequately planned for or coordinated. [It was] a transition that led to problems that were largely predictable and one that we moved measurably forward from January to June to the benefit of many consumers. But it's not a closed book. It is ongoing. There are still problems out there, lessons to be learned and a document to write.[135]
In September 2010, the FCC proposed the implementation of a hard deadline of 2012 for low power stations to broadcast in digital, though this deadline was not adopted.[citation needed]
On July 15, 2011, theFederal Communications Commission issued a final ruling regardingBroadcast translator (TX),Low-powered (LP), andClass-A low-powered (-CA) stations, requiring that analog transmitters shut down by September 1, 2015.[136] Transmitters on channels 52 to 69 were required to vacate their channels by December 31, 2011, but may remain in analog on another channel until the September 1, 2015 deadline. As part of the rules that were imposed, low power VHF stations on channels 2 to 6 can transmit with a maximum ERP 3 kW instead of the previously allowed maximum of 0.3 kW.[citation needed]
On August 13, 2009, theCommunity Broadcasters Association (CBA) announced in a statement that it would shut down after 20 years of representing LPTV stations. One reason given was the cost required to fight "restrictive regulations that kept the Class A and LPTV industry from realizing its potential," including the campaign to requireanalog passthrough, aconverter box feature that allows both digital and analog television to be viewed on older TVs. Amy Brown, former CBA executive director, said, "some 40% of Class A and LPTV station operators believe they will have to shut down in the next year if they are not helped through the digital transition."[137] On April 24, 2015, the requirement for broadcast translator (TX) and low-powered (-LP) stations to convert by September 1 of that year was suspended, pending the then-upcoming spectrum auction.[138] After the auction's completion in 2017, on May 17 of that year the FCC announced July 13, 2021 as the new analog low-power shutoff date.[139] On June 21, 2021, the FCC granted the State of Alaska an extension due to novel factors that prevented the completion of stations' digital facilities, setting a new low-power analog shutoff date of January 10, 2022.[8]
The2008 United States wireless spectrum auction effectively eliminated 700 MHz UHF channels 52–69 as of the June 2009 digital transition. After this, the study of how to further increasespectrum forwireless broadband began in 2009. Some plans called for eliminating broadcast TV entirely, but opponents of such a plan said the efforts made during the DTV transition would become pointless. By 2010, voluntary efforts were planned. Sharing channels, made possible by the first transition, was approved in 2012. Anotherspectrum auction planned for 2014 (and delayed to 2016) created a second digital transition, wherein UHF stations operating on channels 38–51 in the 600 MHz band were moved into VHF channels 2-13 or UHF channels 14–36. This was done in ten phases from 2017 to 2020.[citation needed]
ATSC 3.0 (also known by the moniker NextGen TV) is a new digital television transmission standard which is not backwards compatible with ATSC 1.0, the standard employed in the 2009 digital transition. Transition to ATSC 3.0 is voluntary on both ends: television manufacturers are not required to provide ATSC 3.0 compatible tuners in televisions. Further, digital television stations may elect to broadcast in ATSC 3.0 at any time, with the caveat that they must simulcast ATSC 1.0 signals for up to five years after beginning broadcasts in ATSC 3.0.[140]
If and when digital television stations sunset their ATSC 1.0 broadcasts, consumers that wish to see the newer broadcasts will be required to purchase televisions which can receive ATSC 3.0, install a software update (for sets that have the capability to be updated in such a manner), or purchase ATSC 3.0 tuners for their older digital television sets.[140]
Certain commenters have urged the Commission to give a "hard look" to a proposal that the Commission re-allocate TV Channels 5 and 6 for FM broadcasting73FR28400, 28403
