"The FCC should be leading the transition and working with [the National Telecommunications and Information Administration] and others to coordinate these many efforts," Dingell said. NTIA, a division of the Commerce Department, is implementing a $1.5 billion coupon program to help consumers buy equipment needed to keep analog sets functioning after Feb. 17, 2009.

Subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey, D-Mass., praised recent federal efforts but said they are not enough. "Ultimately, the federal government is responsible for making sure that more than 300 million Americans are adequately informed -- not the industry or consumer groups," he said. "It is, after all, government mandates that will render obsolete millions of analog TVs."

Markey also compared FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, a Republican, to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, saying, "You are the nation's DTV quarterback, and we will be counting on you."

Martin said success hinges on minimizing consumer burdens. "Through all of our activities, the commission is committed to ensuring that no American is left in the dark." He encouraged broadcasters to transmit multiple programming streams for free to encourage consumers to obtain analog-to-digital converters.

Both Dingell and Markey joined Inouye in endorsing an interagency task force to facilitate the switchover, similar to the one that helped address the computer glitches that were expected with the Year 2000 changeover.

Several Republicans, including the committee's ranking Republican, Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, and subcommittee ranking member Fred Upton of Michigan, said the transition appears to be on track and suggested that demand for converter boxes could be lower than expected. They have introduced legislation, H.R. 608, to bolster the FCC's educational activities.

John Kneuer, NTIA's administrator, testified that his agency "has made enormous strides" to ensure that the coupon program, launching Jan. 1, will be effective and the units widely available.

But during questioning, Markey noted that retailers are not required to honor coupons and that consumers could be vulnerable to "bait and switch" sales tactics. He recommended sanctions against non-compliant retailers, an approach Kneuer said is appropriate for the worst violators. But the NTIA chief cautioned that tough restrictions might dissuade retailer participation.

Also Wednesday, Democratic Reps. Albert Wynn of Maryland and G. K. Butterfield of North Carolina introduced House legislation that would increase outreach to seniors about the transition. The bill is a counterpart to a measure recently offered by Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Herb Kohl, D-Wis.

The Government Accountability Office will issue a November report concluding that no comprehensive federal plan exists for the changeover and that other challenges remain.