ACATS was originally expected to produce recommendations on an HDTV standard. Ironically, when the FCC finally adopted the ACATS recommendations in December 1996, interest in HDTV had almost completely waned among broadcasters and the FCC alike. Since 1987, when the FCC started the HDTV proceeding at the request of incumbent broadcasters, the stakes had shifted considerably. The transition was no longer about sharper pictures or the competitiveness of the electronics sector. Digital TV offered opportunities never imagined by HDTV advocates back in 1987. The problem was that the transition strategy inherited from the Sikes commission was centered on HDTV: incumbents would get a second frequency channel because, based on their control of resources (e.g., popular programming) and technical expertise, they were the most likely to succeed in implementing HDTV. Sharply divided about the commercial opportunities offered by the transition, broadcasters split into two camps. Some felt it was imperative to migrate as soon as possible to match in quality and services what other platforms (i.e., cable and satellite) would provide. Others deemed the upfront costs unjustified – at least until a significant percentage of the population could actually receive the new services. Yet everyone agreed that it was vital to keep potential competitors off the DTT market. In a sense, as HDTV faded, the policymaking process returned to its point of origin: a struggle by incumbent broadcasters to retain spectrum control and defend a regulatory edifice founded half a century ago.