A source close to the working committee of groups that advises the Federal Communications Commission on consumer matters has told LLFCC that the FCC instructed its participants "not to have contact with the press" about their latest vote on the digital or "DTV" transition.

On September 27th, the FCC's Consumer Advisory Committee CAC approved recommending a variety of broadcaster requirements to educate consumers on the impending switch from analog to digital broadcasting. Congress has set February 17th, 2009 as the last day for analog transmission. Starting on January 1st, the government will offer $40 coupons to consumers to defray the cost of buying a set top box that can convert older analog TVs into digital ready receivers.

Millions of Americans still own analog TV sets and know little if anything about the transition.

But industry and advocacy groups on the CAC are at odds over whether the FCC should require broadcasters to run public service announcements (PSAs) on the program. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) opposes the requirement. Most public interest groups favor it.

The 28 member CAC voted to recommend setting requirements on Thursday. According to the source, industry members such as the NAB as well as the representative of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) abstained.

The CAC now recommends that

• the FCC require TV stations to run PSAs and report to the FCC regularly on their education work.
• the Commission standardize DTV transition information and require cable and satellite providers to participate in the program.
• the Commission ask firms that win spectrum in the impending 700MHz auction to join the DTV education program, and submit reports on their participation.
• the agency require retail stores to be able to demonstrate the closed captioning features of their digital TV sets on the show room floor. Disability rights advocates on the committee have complained that the closed captioning settings for new digital TV sets are very difficult to access.
• cable and satellite providers also be required to participate and submit reports to the FCC.

LLFCC's source says that following the vote, CAC members were told that all media contact should go through a staff member of the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB). LLFCC called the staffer, whose answering machine response said that she would be out of the office until Tuesday. Thomas Wyatt of the CGB later told us that the request was about helping the public with the logistics of filing comments with the FCC.

"It wasn't in the context of having no discussions with the press," Wyatt said.

The FCC mandates the Consumer Advisory Committee "to facilitate the participation of consumers (including people with disabilities and underserved populations, such as Native Americans and persons living in rural areas) in proceedings before the Commission."