FCC Dishes Out Fines over Digital Television Deadline

The transition to digital television in 2009 is no small matter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC has dealt 11 companies up to $6 Million in fines. A majority of the fines are going to retailers for not properly warning consumers about TVs with analog-only tuners.

Retailers taking the brunt of the fines include: Sears/K-Mart $1.09 million dollar and Wal-Mart with a $992,000 fine. Also significantly fined were Circuit City, Fry’s Electronics, Target, Best Buy and CompUSA.

The date that broadcasters must switch to digital television is fast approaching. The federal regulatory body is using the fines to send an important message that it takes the switch very seriously and is willing slap violators in the pocket-book.

The government is trying to ease the shock of the switch on consumers by offering two $40 vouchers for digital-to-analogue converter boxes to each household. But the FCC also wants retailers to properly mark new televisions that aren’t capable of receiving digital broadcast signals. Anyone buying a new television today would be wise to ensure it includes a digital tuner or the TV won’t be able to receive over-air broadcast television next year when the analogue TV clampdown goes into effect.

Other fines dished out by the FCC included $1.3 Million to the already ailing Syntax-Brillian Corp. and $358,000 against Precor Inc. for shipping and importing analog televisions after the deadline.

The FCC is also slapping violators of new V-chip regulations. V-chip is the parental TV feature that allows programming to be blocked based on rating systems to protect children from offensive material. Polaroid was snapped with a fine of $775,000 and a $300,000 fine was laid against Proview Technology Inc for shipping televisions that didn’t include the new version of the V-chip.

One signal is being broadcast loud and clear - the FCC is taking this transition to digital television very seriously.