Digital-TV Deadline to Be Submitted

House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas) said he would introduce legislation this month to impose a December 2006 deadline on U.S. broadcasters to convert to digital technology.

Broadcasters such as General Electric Co.’s NBC and Viacom Inc.’s CBS have been lobbying against a firm deadline. They risk losing the 15% of all households that receive television by antenna only, rather than through cable or satellite services. Those viewers may not buy converter boxes to allow their sets to receive digital signals.