FCC to Vote on Educational Rules for Digital Stations

The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday that it would vote next week on whether to require 414 digital television stations to air educational children’s programming, a plan pushed by the agency’s Democratic members.

The proposal has been opposed by more than 1,000 local TV stations that are members of the National Assn. of Broadcasters. They say it’s premature to impose such a requirement during the early stages of U.S. conversion to digital TV.

Democrats led by Michael J. Copps have been urging FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell, a Republican, to require more public interest shows as part of his effort to convert analog TV broadcasting to digital TV. The commission has three Republicans and two Democrats.

“This order seems to be an olive branch to the Democratic commissioners,” said Paul Gallant, a Schwab Soundview analyst who was an advisor to Powell. “It probably adds costs at the margin for some stations, but it’s not make-or-break for them.”

The Thursday vote will focus on digital stations that broadcast two to six channels at the same time. These affiliates of networks such as Viacom Inc.’s CBS and News Corp.’s Fox account for about a quarter of all U.S. TV stations and serve markets including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Congress and the FCC have been trying unsuccessfully to encourage a digital conversion. Digital TV offers superior pictures and sound and frees up analog airwaves for use by police, fire and public-safety personnel.

Stations that broadcast digitally are continuing to transmit programs in analog format until they’re required to return analog airwaves to the government.

Powell is considering whether to set a firm deadline for conversion to digital TV in the face of lagging purchases of digital TV equipment. Under current FCC rules, a TV station must convert to digital only when 85% of U.S. households have digital TV sets.