By Robert Goldrich
WASHINGTON, D.C. --Separate bills in the U.S. Senate and House have set 2009 as the year for broadcasters to switch off their analog signal, triggering the full fledged transition to digital television. Yet while the proposed pieces of legislation concur on the year, there are differences in other key provisions. Plus, there’s the distinct chance that the language in the two measures could change significantly with feedback and further political wrangling.
The ad biz has a more than casual interest in the transition to digital television given its implications for commercial production as well as the interactive opportunities that could arise as a result.
Last week, by a vote of 19 to 3, the Senate Commerce Committee approved a bill that would call for the transition to take place on April 7, ’09. By no coincidence, that’s the day after the conclusion of the widely watched NCAA basketball tournament, underscoring the political sensitivity of shutting down an analog signal upon which a large segment of the population is still dependent for their TV viewing.
There’s some debate over prospects for passage of the Senate bill. However, there’s a big push to get the wheels in motion for the transition–the major impetus being financial. With a massive U.S. budget shortfall, the digital transition could raise billions of dollars through auctions for the spectrum licenses that would be surrendered by broadcasters. According to Congressional Budget Office estimates, the auction of analog frequencies would generate some $10 billion for the U.S. Treasury.
The proposed Senate bill would set aside $3 billion for owners of analog sets to buy converter boxes that could receive digital signals. It’s estimated that there are currently some 80 million such TV sets that don’t get subscription services provided by cable and satellite firms.
HOUSE PROPOSAL
Meanwhile in the House of Representatives, Commerce Committee members have begun circulating a bill that would require broadcasters to turn off their analog signal by January 1, ’09.
Per this legislation, cable operators would have to maintain dual carriage for five years–meaning that after the switch-off date, they would carry both the digital signal and a signal that’s converted to analog so that customers could receive programming with or without a digital set-top box.
The House bill would also provide some $1 billion to subsidize set-top boxes for those TV sets that aren’t connected to a cable or satellite delivery service. Those TV households would each receive $80 worth of vouchers for the purchase of a converter box.
Both the House and Senate proposals fail to address whether cable operators would have to carry all the new digital programs transmitted by broadcasters. This is a major bone of contention as the cable industry has lobbied vigorously against such a requirement being instituted.Alec Baldwin Urges Judge To Stand By Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Case In “Rust” Shooting
Alec Baldwin urged a New Mexico judge on Friday to stand by her decision to skuttle his trial and dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie.
State District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against Baldwin halfway through a trial in July based on the withholding of evidence by police and prosecutors from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust."
The charge against Baldwin was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can't be revived once any appeals of the decision are exhausted.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey recently asked the judge to reconsider, arguing that there were insufficient facts and that Baldwin's due process rights had not been violated.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer on "Rust," was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
The case-ending evidence was ammunition that was brought into the sheriff's office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins' killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammunition unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin's lawyers alleged that they "buried" it and filed a successful motion to dismiss the case.
In her decision to dismiss the Baldwin case, Marlowe Sommer described "egregious discovery violations constituting misconduct" by law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as false testimony about physical evidence by a witness during the trial.
Defense counsel says that prosecutors tried to establish a link... Read More