[opendtv] Re: News: Copps: Most Stations Could Move Earlier Than June 12
- From: "John Shutt" <shuttj@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 08:35:27 -0500
Al,
I disagree. I listened to the House debate, including the passage of a
change to the rules procedure on a voice vote when there were only two
democrats and 12 republicans on the floor, yet the Chair said that the Ayes
had it.
The theme was extremely clear by the debate. Democrats said that the (Bush)
Commerce department screwed up the implementation and oversight of the
Coupon Program. Democrats complained that Commerce didn't inform Congress
that the Coupon Program had run out of money (encumbered it, actually)
until Christmas Eve, and by then there was nothing Congress could do because
they were out on recess. Never mind that the Commerce department were
operating under law crafted and passed by that same House.
Republicans argued that delay would hurt broadcasters through unbudgeted
expenses related to continued simulating, and first responders through loss
of use of frequencies. Many times the 9/11 Commission report was invoked as
a reason why the spectrum needed to be cleared ASAP. Mark Schubin gave us a
brilliant analysis at the time that all the FDNY had to do was to switch to
a different channel on their existing radios to talk to the NYPD, but did
not.
No, the necessity for delay of analog shutoff was placed on the Bush
Administration's Department of Commerce, and their lack of giving grandma
her $40 coupon in time.
John
----- Original Message -----
From: "Allen Le Roy Limberg" <allimberg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
The "delay" strikes me as primarily a political ploy to shift
responsibility
for the cessation of analog broadcasting from the Congress and new
administration to the broadcasting community.
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