High-tech CEOs want their DTV and they want it now

The CEOs of nine high-tech companies (Intel, HP, Unisys, IBM, NCR Corp., Dell, Applied Materials, EMC Corp., and Motorola) have banded together to press the issue of the
digital TV official switchover date. They sent a letter to House Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), who is in charge of drafting the legislation that will set the "date certain" when broadcasters have to stop sending analog transmissions. They warn that failure to do so may bring about the end of civilization as we know it, or at least, ruin the economy, endanger public safety and tarnish the US image as a great leader in innovation. We can translate the first point as meaning "we stand to make a crapload of money when this happens, so get on with it, already" and the last part as "got to keep up appearances!" — but the public safety bit is a bit of a stretch. Sure, part of the bill will pave the way for some of the freed up spectrum to get earmarked for emergency services to use, but it's not like failing to render everyone's analog box completely useless is really going to endanger public safety.