Harris is disavowing the accuracy of its own ex parte presentatio...

analog cutoff. The ex parte is dated Nov. 1, 2006. Originally filed at the FCC last fall, it was filed again at the Commission’s request, a Harris spokesman said. He said he didn’t know why that request was made. Many of the conclusions in the ex parte no longer are valid because DTV transmitter installations have increased significantly since, he said, but an updated tally of installations isn’t available. About 297 new digital transmitters need to be ordered, manufactured and installed for the analog cutoff, equaling 15 months capacity of the U.S. transmitter industry, Harris said in the ex parte. “To drive the required timing for installation crews, transmitter ordering would need to commence on an even order basis approximately 23 months prior to analog sunset, or end of March 2007,” Harris said. In conveying “feedback from the field,” Harris said many broadcasters don’t believe Feb. 17, 2009, “will remain as a fixed date for analog sunset,” Harris said: “Most believe that there will be a transition period after analog sunset during which they will have time to build out their RF system for the final DTV channel assignment.” Asked to respond to the Harris ex parte, NAB Exec. Vp. Dennis Wharton said his group “recognizes Congress established a Feb. 2009 date for ending analog television, and our stations are working aggressively toward meeting that deadline with minimal disruption to consumers. We also look forward to working with the FCC to accommodate the minority of stations who have extenuating circumstances that could prevent them from meeting the 2009 date.”