Hold It! (Pretty Please)

6:00 PM -- If Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Acting Chairman Michael J. Copps didn't drop enough hints about this yesterday, just know that there's growing government pressure calling for full-power broadcasters to hold off switching to analog until June 12, rather than flipping over on the original date of February 17. (See FCC Puts Broadcasters on the Clock.)

Today, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), one of the main guys behind a bill that will delay the "hard" cutover for another four months, acknowledged that broadcasters are permitted to move forward in 11 days, "but I strongly urge them to instead take advantage of the June 12 delay in every area where consumers are not completely ready." So count that as pretty much everywhere, since it's likely that not all consumers in all markets are ready for this.

"It's my hope that broadcasters look at this delay not as an inconvenience, but an opportunity to provide support for consumers who need it most," he added.

Broadcasters have until Monday to tell the FCC if they intend to terminate analog service on or after February 17. Then again, the FCC can deny requests to go digital on the original date if it's deemed "contrary to the public interest."

— Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Cable Digital News