ACTION ALERT: President Signs DTV Delay Act; New Transition Date of June 12, 2009

Washington, D.C., February 12, 2009 -- President Obama signed the DTV Delay Act into law.  The legislation changes the prior deadline of February 17, 2009 for the transition of TV broadcasting from analog to digital to June 12, 2009.  Consumers who use antennas and have older TV sets who do not upgrade will find that their TVs no longer work on June 12. 

A number of TV stations across the country will still be transitioning to digital prior to or on the older transition date.  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has provided a list of all stations that will stop broadcasting in analog prior to or on February 17 (http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-221A3.pdf).  The DTV Delay Act gives stations that are unable to continue broadcasting in analog after the old transition date the flexibility to move to digital.  A number of stations have leases for broadcast towers that are set to expire or have already contracted to sell their broadcast equipment. 

Satellite providers may experience an increase in calls from both current customers as well as over-the-air viewers as the shut off dates in these markets take place.  This information is provided as an alert to you. 

The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association is the national trade organization representing all segments of the satellite industry. It is committed to expanding the utilization of satellite technology for the broadcast delivery of video, audio, data, music, voice, interactive, and broadband services. Additional information can be found at www.sbca.com.