FCC to scrutinize stations wanting early DTV switch

By Kim Dixon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators are scrutinizing bids by hundreds of TV stations that want to broadcast in all digital next week, to prevent millions of households from losing television access, the acting chief communications regulator said on Wednesday.

Regulators were caught off guard by the steep number of stations that want to transition early, even after lawmakers delayed a mandatory nationwide switch to "DTV" by months.

In markets that are vulnerable and left with few to no local broadcasting options, the requests may be denied, acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps told reporters on Wednesday.

"We are six days from the most demanding consumer technology transition in the history of broadcasting," Copps said.

The U.S. House of Representatives last week completed action on legislation to delay the mandatory change by four months -- to June 12 from February 17. President Barack Obama signed the bill late on Wednesday.

Obama said "millions of Americans, including those in our most vulnerable communities, would have been left in the dark if the conversion had gone on as planned."

Major U.S. television networks, including CBS Corp, General Electric Co's NBC and Walt Disney Co's ABC, vowed last week to continue to transmit TV signals in analog.

But the networks own only about 100 of the 1,800 or so broadcast television stations in the United States, according to an industry group. Continued...