TECHNOLOGY - July 26, 1996

FCC Proposes to Match Analog, Digital Channels: Television got a boost into a new era that promises extra-sharp pictures and crystal-clear sound when federal regulators accepted a proposal to give broadcasters extra channels they’ll need for the digital service. The Federal Communications Commission’s unanimous decision begins the painstaking process of allocating a chunk of the public airwaves for digital TV--the biggest innovation since color picture tubes in the 1950s. The FCC proposed to match up each of 1,600 TV stations, which now use analog channels, with a digital channel. The FCC hopes to make a final decision by the end of the year and begin licensing digital stations in early 1997, said FCC Chairman Reed Hundt.