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TECHNOLOGY
FCC Calls Shift to Digital TV Smooth
The transition to digital television went fairly smoothly, with only a few glitches, federal officials said yesterday, although some viewers may still need help tuning into the new broadcast signals.
Throughout the day Friday, 971 full-power stations dropped their analog broadcasts, forcing consumers who do not subscribe to satellite or cable service to install a converter box or upgrade to a digital set to watch TV. Staffers at the Federal Communications Commission have been working round-the-clock to man the main digital TV hotline, 1-888-CALL-FCC.
"It's looking more like Y2K than the Bay of Pigs," FCC Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein said yesterday during a conference call with reporters. He added, though, that efforts to identify and help consumers who had lost TV reception were still underway.
Nearly 30 percent of the calls to the FCC hotline concerned the operation of the digital converter boxes. More than 20 percent of the calls dealt with reception issues -- callers needed a new antenna, for example, or were tuned to a station whose coverage area had changed slightly after the switch.
About 3 million households were considered to be unprepared for the transition, but the commissioners said it is impossible to know how many lost TV service.
-- Kim Hart
CALIFORNIA
Bush-Era Lawyer Can Be Sued, Judge Says
A federal judge says a convicted terrorist can sue a Bush administration lawyer for drafting the legal theories that led to his alleged torture. The order by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White of San Francisco is the first time an administration lawyer has been held potentially liable for the abuse of detainees.
White refused to dismiss Jose Padilla's lawsuit against former Justice Department lawyer John C. Yoo. Yoo wrote memos on interrogation, detention and presidential powers for the department's Office of Legal Counsel from 2001 to 2003.
Padilla, 38, is serving a 17-year sentence on terrorism charges. He says he was tortured while being held nearly four years as a suspect.
-- Associated Press
U.S., Canada to Update Great Lakes Protections: The United States and Canada say they will update a key agreement to protect the Great Lakes. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said in Ontario that the 1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement will be revised to address such issues as invasive species, chemicals and climate change.
Gas Leak Postpones Shuttle Launch: A potentially dangerous hydrogen gas leak cropped up during the fueling of space shuttle Endeavour on Saturday and forced NASA to postpone the launch by at least four days. It was almost identical to a leak that stalled a flight in March.
-- From News Services
