Break the FCC's digital transition rules? That's a $6 million finin'

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]

[kyle allen @ Apr 11th 2008 12:54AM]

i think the term for this should be pork barrel suing.

[rock99rock @ Apr 11th 2008 12:00PM]

True... but how much of that $ will go back to the consumers that purchased those unmarked televisions?

[kyle allen @ Apr 12th 2008 4:05PM]

none, duh!

[adam @ Apr 11th 2008 12:58AM]

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.

[zomg0t @ Apr 11th 2008 1:00AM]

i think the term for this should be paddlin'.

[Fubar @ Apr 11th 2008 7:33AM]

Correcting the Engadget editors? That's a paddlin'.

[nxtiak @ Apr 11th 2008 1:04AM]

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.

[phanbouy @ Apr 11th 2008 1:10AM]

i've been trying to figure out your avatar for quite some time. is that babe holding her knee or hugging another chick?

[natels @ Apr 11th 2008 1:13AM]

That's her knee and the top half of her boot/heels.

[Chris @ Apr 11th 2008 2:19PM]

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.

[i.c. weiner @ Apr 11th 2008 5:26PM]

if she is hugging another chick then the being hugged is headless

[junyor mynt @ Apr 11th 2008 1:12AM]

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...

[Tony @ Apr 11th 2008 1:19AM]

...man issues concerning the size of their nipples?

[a_p77 @ Apr 11th 2008 1:14AM]

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...

[scott @ Apr 11th 2008 1:30AM]

=/..fines arent fun.

but engadget's new layout is!

[Ellianth @ Apr 11th 2008 11:14AM]

maybe for you!

[jmd @ Apr 11th 2008 1:58AM]

I still have yet to receive my 40$ coupons. :(

[RC @ Apr 11th 2008 2:00AM]

Anyone know who designed the FCC logo?

[Jeff @ Apr 11th 2008 2:02AM]

A baseball catcher with a giant hand.

[roflercopterer @ Apr 11th 2008 2:30AM]

Fine by me

[Jesse S @ Apr 11th 2008 2:33AM]

Ha ha!

[spacegravity4me @ Apr 11th 2008 3:03AM]

I didn't know they had $6 dollar million finins out now! Last I had checked they were about twenty dollars... *blink*

[mdscapes @ Apr 11th 2008 3:15AM]

And guess who ultimately pays...

[d @ Apr 11th 2008 4:38AM]

I hope I'm not the only one who got the amazing Simpsons reference in the title. That one actually made me LOL.

[harpseal0301 @ Apr 11th 2008 6:34AM]

Good job!! XD

[artifex @ Apr 11th 2008 7:01AM]

Oddly enough, I don't think the Samsung DLP TV we got a few weeks ago has a v-chip in it, either.

[John Stracke @ Apr 11th 2008 10:02AM]

$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.

[Adam @ Apr 11th 2008 11:31AM]

"You mean a fining."

"Shhhhh.... you wanna get suuuueed"

[alexmueller @ Apr 11th 2008 11:39AM]

How bout we not make these TV's anymore mmmkay

[Puke @ Apr 11th 2008 4:10PM]

Money, that's all the government thugs want. Just pay the protection money and no one gets hurt.