Break the FCC's digital transition rules? That's a $6 million finin'
By Richard Lawler 
posted Apr 11th 2008 12:45AM
posted Apr 11th 2008 12:45AM
As seen previously, the FCC isn't scared to put the financial smackdown on anyone it finds not playing up to the rules of the digital transition, and has dropped about $6 million in fines on 11 companies. Several of the companies fined were retailers it says did not properly mark TVs that had only analog tuners and won't get OTA TV after it's shut off next year. Wal-Mart got dinged for $992k, $1.1 million went against Sears, $712k for Circuit City, $296k against Target and $280k against Best Buy. Syntax-Brillian was one of two companies that caught a charge for importing TVs without a digital tuner after the deadline, two more were fined for V-chip violations, while Panasonic and Philips were among seven others that settled to avoid fines. That probably won't cover all those $40 coupons, but it can't hurt.[Via Zatz Not Funny & Cable Digital News]
i think the term for this should be pork barrel suing.
True... but how much of that $ will go back to the consumers that purchased those unmarked televisions?
none, duh!
I work at CVS and I noticed the other day that our cheap-o black and white 5" portable TV's that are obligatory in any pharmacy's "electronics" section that we now have the generic "this tv will not function after......." message taped to the package of the TV's so it wouldn't surprise me if somebody in WOONSOCKET, RI (look it up, not joking) wised up so CVS didn't get fined.
i think the term for this should be paddlin'.
Correcting the Engadget editors? That's a paddlin'.
They need to start investigating Cable companies too.
Salesmen telling people they need to subscribe to their "digital" cable because analog cable will be turned off.
i've been trying to figure out your avatar for quite some time. is that babe holding her knee or hugging another chick?
That's her knee and the top half of her boot/heels.
Well that's because some cable companies ARE turning off their analog cable TV systems. Optimum Cable in Rockland County, NY for example shut off their analog cable and are now digital only. In fact they pestered my GF's parents for years to upgrade to digital and pay more; eventually they were forced to digital but they still pay their old analog rate.
if she is hugging another chick then the being hugged is headless
I have worked for TWC the problem is that half of the feild techs don't know anything about the change over. Instead of learning or reading about it they talk out their...
...man issues concerning the size of their nipples?
I was talking to some lady in the electronics department of Walmart and i could not stand to talk to her for long. She was telling me that all OTA signal was going to cease, when in reality only the analog signal was going to be gone. She insisted that she was trained and took a "class" on the subject... So what im hearing is right, the government is making you buy cable or satellite if i cant to watch TV? Stupid walmart...
=/..fines arent fun.
but engadget's new layout is!
maybe for you!
I still have yet to receive my 40$ coupons. :(
Anyone know who designed the FCC logo?
A baseball catcher with a giant hand.
I hope I'm not the only one who got the amazing Simpsons reference in the title. That one actually made me LOL.
Fine by me
Ha ha!
I didn't know they had $6 dollar million finins out now! Last I had checked they were about twenty dollars... *blink*
And guess who ultimately pays...
Money, that's all the government thugs want. Just pay the protection money and no one gets hurt.
Good job!! XD
Oddly enough, I don't think the Samsung DLP TV we got a few weeks ago has a v-chip in it, either.
$6M definitely won't cover the coupons. Congress authorized the NTIA to spend up to $990M, including $100M for administration, and a further $510M is available with 60-day notice if the NTIA decides they need it.
"You mean a fining."
"Shhhhh.... you wanna get suuuueed"
How bout we not make these TV's anymore mmmkay