Introduced this week by Senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman, the bill would allocate some returned analog TV spectrum to emergency responders by Jan. 1, 2009

The U.S. Senate last week passed a bill allowing TV stations to transmit on a voluntary basis in analog format emergency messages and info on how to convert to DTV for 30 days following the February 2009 DTV transition

The Senate Commerce Committee approved April 7, 2009 as the day analog spectrum must be returned to the government

In a floor speech on interoperable communications for public safety officials Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), referring to the compromise date of Jan. 1, 2009 date for shutting down analog TV broadcasting, said "Upon introduction, I suggested this date is a compromise between public safety organizations, equipment man

After learning that emergency first responders to Katrina faced communications problems similar to those of Sept. 11, the senator went to the Senate floor to call for return of spectrum by the beginning of 2007

The new analog cut-off date noted in a draft bill on Capitol Hill is April 7, 2009. The date is a compromise time frame between Jan. 1, 2009 and late summer of 2009, although Sen. John McCain (R.-Ariz.) reportedly plans to offer an amendment to continue to push for a cut-off by 2007 or even 2006, so that emergency fi

The budget reconciliation bill established Feb. 17, 2009, as the end date for analog TV transmission

Mark Schubin is challenging Senator John McCain’s call for speeding the DTV transition