Only consumers with digital television sets will be able to receive the digital programming.

With a converter box, today's televisions will be able to receive tomorrow's digital programming.

At the same time, though, the pamphlet says, "It will be years before even modest amounts of digital programming are available in all media markets."

But most of them require an external receiver box costing $450 or more to receive digital programming.

This rule was applied to both analog and digital programming.

Theaters could also show live sporting events and other digital programming.

Perhaps the biggest battleground in the struggle for control of digital programming will be interactive television.

Indeed, those services are a central selling point for digital programming.

The issue is complex because not all digital programming is the same.

Television industry executives say they intend to broadcast digital programming in different formats.