The FCC is considering whether to test the digital TV transition in a few markets before pulling the plug on all analog transmissions on February 17, 2009.
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said on Monday that he recognizes there would be technical challenges in doing the test, but that “It is unfathomable to me that we are planning to turn off every analog signal in the country on a single day without running at least one test market first.”
Multichannel reports Copps said that FCC chairman Kevin Martin and unnamed “colleagues” have agreed to “begin exploring the idea of one or more DTV demonstration projects” in several markets.