Markey "applauds" DTV delay

After Congress approved the DTV delay bill, longtime pubcasting supporter Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) former chair of the Telecommunications & Internet Subcommittee, told Broadcasting & Cable: "I applaud the passage of this necessary legislation. It is unfortunate that Congress had to take additional action on this issue, but the prospect of leaving millions of consumers in the dark was simply unacceptable. This was a foreseeable problem and should have been anticipated and acknowledged by the Bush administration long ago. However, the Bush administration simply left us with insufficient time to make the needed adjustments on a national basis without this short, one-time delay. I commend President Obama for his swift actions on this critical issue." Markey's office pointed out he had expressed his concern over DTV transition funding in 2005.

DTV transition delayed until June

The House has voted to delay the digital TV transition until June 12, reports the Washington Post. President Obama has said he will sign the bill immediately.

Firms cooperate to establish white-space database

Microsoft, Google and Dell are among tech firms collaborating to create a database of occupied channels in the TV white spaces spectrum. The White Spaces Database Group is helping the FCC identify current channels to avoid interference from wireless broadband devices new to the spectrum. Other members of the group: Comsearch, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola and NeuStar.

Pandora's goal is to "completely replace radio"

"Our goal right now is nothing less than to completely replace radio with this whole new thing called personalized radio," said Tim Westergren, chief strategy officer for the online music service Pandora, during an appearance at the monthly Social Media breakfast in Cincinnati. Pandora launched in November 2005 and has yet to earn a profit, Westergren said, but it "now has more listeners in major markets than many large radio stations, according to industry measurements; and the numbers are continuing to skyrocket," the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Former WGBHer found murdered

An investigation continues into the murder of a former public broadcaster, Sheila A. Kline, in Carlisle, Pa. Kline, 45, had worked at WGBH in 1991 and '92, according to a station spokeswoman. Police say Kline's body was found by a trash hauler about 6 a.m. Jan. 23 in a downtown alley near a parking garage. An autopsy determined that she had been strangled. Her obituary says was a writer and had worked in production for the Boston station.