WASHINGTON-The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday refused to get sucked into a debate between the broadcasters and the cable operators regarding the state of the digital TV transition.
“It is a tough wrestling match to the finish line,” said FCC Chairman Michael Powell. “The only thing that is going to work is for everyone to stay in the playpen and make this work.”
The status of the DTV transition is important to the wireless industry that eagerly awaits the return of spectrum that TV broadcasters were given to facilitate it. Broadcasters do not have to return their extra channel of six megahertz of spectrum until 2007 and when 85 percent of the homes in their viewing area are capable of receiving digital signals.
As the transition has sputtered, the broadcasters and cable operators have blamed each other.
Powell told reporters gathered for an informal briefing that the DTV transition is “still in its infancy” and that there “still is a learning curve” for all of those involved.
The agency is more efficient since he took over the chairmanship two years ago, said Powell responding to criticism that the agency is not working as fast as perhaps he had said it would when he took office. “In commission time I think we are being hasty,” he said.
Powell also said he was pleased to finally have a full compliment of FCC members. “I hate the dynamic of a four-person commission,” he said. “It is bad karma.” Jonathan Adelstein, a Democratic appointee, was finally sworn-in as a commissioner late last year after a long wait due to congressional wrangling.
Telecommunications is apolitical, said Powell, noting that he gets letters from members of Congress from both parties both praising and pillorying him for his policies.
Asked to comment on the weak earnings of telecommunications companies, Powell refused to give advice. “The Ivan Seidenbergs of the world know a lot more about how to make a fortune in this business,” he said. Seidenberg is chief executive officer of Verizon Communications Inc., parent of Verizon Wireless.
