Digital television transition in the United States

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The digital transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of terrestrial television programming. According to David Rehr, then president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, this transition represented "the most significant advancement of television technology since color TV was introduced."^[1] For full-power TV stations, the transition went into effect on June 12, 2009, with stations ending regular programming on their analog signals no later than 11:59 p.m. local time that day.^[2]

Under the Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005, full-power broadcasting of analog television in the United States was initially planned to have ceased after February 17, 2009. To help U.S. consumers through the conversion, the Act also established a federally sponsored DTV Converter Box Coupon Program.^{[citation needed]}

The DTV Delay Act changed the mandatory analog cutoff date to June 12, 2009, although stations were permitted to cease analog transmissions before the new mandatory cutoff date. The legislation was passed by both houses of Congress by February 4, 2009, and on February 11, 2009, US President Barack Obama signed it into law.^[3][4] The purpose of the extension was to help the millions of households who had not been able to get their coupons for converters because demand for coupons exceeded the funding provided for in the initial bill, leaving millions on a waiting list to receive coupons. Funding for extra coupons was provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. By midnight on the original cut-off date of February 17, 2009, 641 stations representing 36 percent of U.S. full-power broadcasters were transmitting exclusively in digital.^[5]

Analog broadcasting did not cease entirely following the June 12, 2009 deadline: under the provisions of the Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act, approximately 120 full-power stations briefly maintained analog "nightlight" service usually displaying a program about the DTV transition, ending no later than July 12, 2009.^[6] In a separate category, low power television stations were permitted to continue analog broadcasts for several more years.^{[citation needed]}

On July 15, 2011, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) posted the required transition deadlines for low-power television stations. Stations broadcasting on channels 52 to 69 were required to vacate those channels by December 31, 2011, and all analog television transmitters (primarily low-powered (LP), and Class-A low-powered (-CA) stations, and also broadcast translator (TX) (repeaters in rural communities)) were required to shut down by September 1, 2015.^[7] On April 24, 2015, it was announced that the conversion date for standard LPTVs and translators still broadcasting in analog had been suspended until further notice, due to economic problems that might have arisen from the then-upcoming spectrum auction, however, Class A low-powered stations were still required to convert by the original deadline date of September 1, 2015.^[8] After the auction's completion in 2017, the FCC announced on May 17 of that year that all analog low-power stations and transmitters must have converted by July 13, 2021.^[9][10] The transition was eventually completed by January 10, 2022, after the State of Alaska was granted an extension to shut down their analog transmitters after a number of factors impacted their transition to digital television.^[11]

The transition to digital broadcasts was pushed back several times. Congress passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, with the original transition date being December 31, 2006. However, the transition to digital television was set back three times: first to December 31, 2008, then to February 17, 2009, and then finally to June 12, 2009.^[12]

All U.S. full-power analog TV broadcasts were required by law to end on June 12, 2009.^[13] Since March 1, 2007, all new television devices that receive signals over-the-air, including pocket-sized portable televisions, personal computer video capture card tuners, and DVD recorders, have been required to include digital ATSC tuners.^[14] Prior to this, the requirement was phased-in starting with larger screen sizes. Until the transition was completed, most U.S. broadcasters transmitted their signals in both analog and digital formats, though a few were already digital-only. Digital stations transmitted on another channel, which was assigned to each full-power broadcaster in a three-round digital channel election.^{[citation needed]}

The transition from the analog NTSC format to the digital ATSC format was originally required to be completed on February 17, 2009, as set by Congress in the Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005.^[15] Following the analog switch-off, the FCC reallocated channels 52 through 69 (the 700 MHz band) for other communications traffic,^[16] completing the reallocation of broadcast channels 52–69 that began in the late 1990s. These channels were auctioned off in early 2008, with the winning bidders taking possession of them in June 2009. Four channels from this portion of the broadcast spectrum (60, 61, 68, and 69) were held for reallocation to public safety communications (such as police, fire, and emergency rescue). Some of the remaining freed up frequencies will be used for advanced commercial wireless services for consumers, such as Qualcomm's planned use of former UHF channel 55 for its MediaFLO service.^[15][17]

For U.S. cable television, the FCC voted 5–0 on September 12, 2007, to require operators to make local broadcasts available to their users in analog. This requirement lasted until 2012, when the FCC reviewed the case again. This was necessary since many cable companies, including major ones such as Comcast, have been taking analog channels away from customers.^[18]

In 2007, a bill in the U.S. Congress called the DTV Border Fix Act was introduced. It would have allowed all television stations within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the Mexican border, in areas such as San Diego and the Rio Grande Valley, to keep their analog signals active for another five years. The bill passed the Senate, but did not pass the House.^[19]

The SAFER Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Bush in December 2008.^[20] The act has been called the "analog nightlight" act, and allows analog stations on channels that did not conflict with post-transition digital stations the option of leaving their analog transmitters on for an additional 30 days, but only to provide disaster information and information regarding the digital transition.^{[citation needed]}

Due to a successful public-private communications and advertising effort that led to the need for more Commerce Department funds to provide for additional converter box coupons, and concerns for other potential problems, the Barack Obama transition team asked Congress in a January 8, 2009 letter to delay the end of analog TV. Gene Kimmelman of Consumers Union, which wanted a delay, feared elderly people, those outside cities, and the poor would lose access to help during a disaster.^[21] Speaking to a group of area residents as part of a nationwide campaign to persuade people to upgrade, FCC chair Kevin Martin said in Raleigh, North Carolina that a delay was "unlikely," and that it would be "unfair" to all those who made the effort to switch, and to those who bought the reallocated spectrum that was sold with the understanding analog broadcasts would end February 17, 2009.^[22] The delay passed Congress despite this prediction (see Extension of transition to June 12).