NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Energy and Commerce Committee Highlights Lessons Learned from the Wilmington, North Carolina Digital Television Transition Test Market

Asks FCC, NTIA, NAB, Television Networks, and Network Affiliates About Further Consumer Education Efforts

Washington, DC – Key Members of Congress today asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA); the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB); the ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX television networks, as well as their corresponding network affiliate associations how they plan to resolve some of the issues identified in the Wilmington, North Carolina, digital television (DTV) transition test market.

In the letters, John D. Dingell (D-MI), the Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), the Chairman of the Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee, stated that the Wilmington test identified many problems related to the DTV transition, including matters concerning rescanning analog-to-digital converter boxes, adjusting or acquiring antennas and changes in the areas where stations’ signals are available. They asked each stakeholder to outline the steps it will take to avoid similar problems when the rest of the Nation transitions to digital on February 17, 2009.

Read the Letters to:

• Chairman Martin, Federal Communications Commission
• Meredith Baker, National Telecommunications and Information Administration
• Robert Iger, ABC Entertainment Television Group
• Darrell Brown, ABC Television Affiliates Association
• David Rehr, National Association of Broadcasters
• Jeff Zucker, NBC Universal
• Peter Chernin, News Corporation
• Leslie Moonves, CBS Corporation
• Scott Blumental, CBS Television Network Affiliates Association
• Brian Jones, FBC Television Affiliates Association
• Michael Fiorile, NBC Television