“When will the rules kick in?”
If I had a nickel for each time I’ve been asked when the IBOC Second Report & Order text will be published in the Federal Register, I could buy a few more VW Beetles and drive my choice of color each day.
People want to know because the new FCC rules won’t take effect until 30 days after publication, and that still hasn’t happened.
The vote on the rules occurred in March and the text came out in May. Usually items are published in the register within a month or so. Granted, this is a complicated item with lots of details, but it seems to be taking longer than usual. It’s not clear why; sources have pointed out that Martin runs his ship differently than his predecessor, and items seem to be taking longer than they used to be finalized. From my observations, the commissioners have said they consider the broadband rollout their priority; that, plus congressionally-mandated deadlines related to the DTV rollout, have center stage, not an un-mandated digital radio rollout.
I asked Ibiquity whether the Mexico border discussion mentioned above has anything to do with why the IBOC rules haven’t yet appeared; the company had no comment on that.
