• Broadcasting & Cable, Monday, May 21, 2007 11 AM

The Federal Communications Commission has extended a deadline for TV stations that haven't finished building digital facilities to complete a mandated transition to the spectrum. Among the 145 given reprieves were WABC and WNBC in New York, both affected by 9/11.

The original deadlines for stations affiliated with the top-four networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) was July 1, 2005 in the top 100 markets, while everyone else got an extra year. The FCC granted six-month extensions to 107 stations, and gave until Feb. 17, 2009 for 33 others. Twenty-nine will be broadcasting after the DTV transition on a channel different than their current DTV channel. Four of the 33 stations want to use the same location for the new signal as their current analog one.

The FCC decided they deserve more time due to construction problems. Two were denied extensions, but will be allowed to continue operating analog stations while another three were denied applications and admonished as the commission warns that it might have to get tougher. It says they had several years to plan for and finance the construction; many had already gotten multiple extensions.

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