The commitment to analog is not really a technology question imho - more of a social one - at least here in the UK, where the government is looking to provide public services broadcasts through the extra channels that become available through more efficient digital channels. The idea is that TV is the best medium for public information because everyone has a TV, right? But not everyone has a digital TV, and what's more, the people most likely to benefit from public information and services are those least able to afford one - those clinging on the to bottom rung of the ladder. It's not about the balls to drop the past, it's the balls to potentially cut off a section of society. Thing is, someone's bound to have 'em