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from: US Census Office

Conversion from Analog to Digital-TV
Feb. 17, 2009

On Feb. 17, 2009, all full-power TV stations will cease to broadcast analog programming. This transition to digital television will enable more efficient use of the nation’s airwaves, providing new advanced wireless services and increased public safety services. To mark this historic transition, the Census Bureau has assembled a sampling of statistics from its publications about television and the television industry.

from: Yahoo News

DISH may plan mobile TV with new airwaves

By Sinead Carew and Peter Henderson Thu Mar 20, 8:46 PM ET

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - DISH Network Corp's (DISH.O) surprise win of wireless airwaves in an auction may be the first step toward building a mobile television service or a bet on a scarce commodity by CEO Charlie Ergen, analysts said on Thursday.

from: Broadcasting and Cable

Small Cable Ops Ask FCC for Blanket Exemption on Dual Carriage
American Cable Association Files with Federal Communications Commission
By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/3/2008 11:37:00 AM

After months of public lobbying for less onerous digital-must-carry requirements, the American Cable Association filed with the Federal Communications Commission asking the agency to formally exempt the smallest and most bandwidth-starved cable systems from carrying both analog and digital versions of broadcasters’ signals.

Note: it looks like Comcast may have more channel slamming planned for the future, hopefully they will leave PEG channels alone after their spanking in Michigan .

from: Broadband Reports

Comcast's $35 Digital Conversion Dongle
Prepares order for 25 million of them...

from: Chuck Chowdery

Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Who's Zooming Who on Digital TV?

Because all analog TV broadcasts in the USA will end in exactly one year, we've been hearing a lot about it lately. The ads and articles appearing now try to make it as simple as possible, which is admirable, but it's more complicated than it appears.

from: Detroit Free Press

State cable TV law needs a tune-up

The end of analog TV signals a year from now is shaking up viewers in more ways than one. The biggest impact will fall on those with old, non-digital sets who get their signals over the air. Their TVs will simply not show a picture next year unless they get a converter box.

A very useful article for sorting out all the broadcast digital transition (DTV) misinformation in the media these days. It also highlights cable company strategies for playing the transition to their own end (the cable digital transition deadline isn't until Feb 2012). Lost here is any mention of affordable 'basic' cable service, the tier of analog service consisting of local broadcast and PEG channels priced to ensure that low-income and fixed income families can afford basic local TV service. We need to ensure that digital cable affords this tier of service for those that need it most.

from: MultiChannel News

Analog is Dead. Long Live Analog
Why Cable Won’t Go All-Digital By Feb. 18, 2009, Even If Broadcasters Will

By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 2/18/2008 8:22:00 AM

Is analog TV an albatross for cable?