FCC Proposes $11M In DTV Education Fines

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin revealed Wednesday that the FCC is planning to propose approximately $11 million in fines against seven cable and telco multichannel video providers for not sufficiently informing their viewers about the DTV transition. He is also floating a proposal that would mean broadcasters who opt for must-carry would not be guaranteed carriage on the basic tier, though it would be left for a future commission to adopt or reject. As expected, he will also propose creating a DTV translator service to help TV stations fill in the gaps in DTV service given changes in coverage area from analog.