WASHINGTON-The chairman of the House Commerce Committee said Wednesday he wants his committee to consider a “Berlin” subsidy plan to end the transition to digital TV and return spectrum so it can be auctioned.
“I do think it is a fair judgment that from a federal budget standpoint, it would be in the best interest of the taxpayers of this country to have this transition occur sooner rather than later, and we have a date in law that says it can occur by Dec. 31, 2006. I am going to pursue all options to see if we can make it occur on that date,” Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) told RCR Wireless News outside of a hearing on the DTV transition.
Earlier this year, Berlin converted to digital TV, and the government subsidized digital set-top boxes so subscribers could continue to receive their favorite shows. Barton said he believes digital set-top boxes will cost $50 if purchased in large quantities, and they could be paid for using auction revenues.
When questioned about whether a German-like subsidy program could be passed by Congress by the end of 2006, Barton expressed confidence that it could.
