In 1997, the Federal Communications Commission determined that the deployment of digital television was in the public interest. Since its official launch in November 1998, consumer demand has been slow to develop and numerous technical and practical problems have arisen, leading commentators to call it a "transition in trouble." Despite all this, the issue has received limited attention in Washington, and there has been little public debate to frame the FCC’s decisions throughout the transition period. This conference brings together speakers of various backgrounds who are involved in the transition and aims to further an informed debate on the role of government in the transition to digital television