Posted on 01/08/2009 12:04:22 PM PST by raccoonradio
President-elect Barack Obama is urging Congress to postpone the Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting.
In a letter to key lawmakers, transition team co-chair John Podesta warned today that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air broadcasts won’t be ready.
The incoming administration is pushing for a delay in part because the Commerce Department has run out of money for the coupons that subsidize digital TV converter boxes for consumers. People who don’t have cable or satellite TV or a new TV with a digital tuner will need the converter boxes to keep their analog TVs working.
Obama officials are also concerned that the government is not giving consumers enough help with the TV transition.
Uh, the coupon program ran out of money... So much for the absolute deadline...
They've been running ads on TV for awhile explaining what the situation is. Many TV stations have been airing programs, on both their channels and their websites, explaining what's going on.
Feb 17: DIGITAL DOOMSDAY!
It’s simple to install!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy-pD-M0rY4
“...Is this my new TV?”
“Simply obtain a 300 ohm to 75 ohm balun...”
“..Will all of this make Jack Benny come back?”
(HA! hey ma’am just type the web address in; the computer
will probably put the http://www. part in automatically :)
oh well. i’m all for technological evolution, but not through government forced obsolecence... DTV is the way to go, but it should not be forced...
Why does the government have to pay for friggin tv box coupons!!!
Jeez, Uncle Sam has to pay for all of us (not to mention it is us the taxpayers that are funding the coupons)
That’s what I was thinking; far be it for the government to deny these people a daily dose of The One on their TV sets.
I thought they were paying for the converter box coupons with the procedes from the sale of the freed up frequencies? What happened to all the money?
It’s horrible! *snicker*
It is only fair. The government is going to make BIG BUCKS when they sell the VHF bands. MUI companies are lined up and around the block for them.
That is why the government has been so adamant about makeing the deadline.
This digital switchover next month is just in the U.S., right?
Here’s something interesting. I was on a TV forum this a.m. (okay, I’m a reality junkee) and and individual posted in the site that she hadn’t gotten her converter box yet and would need to run out soon and get it or she wouldn’t be able to get Top Chef anymore.
The problem? Top Chef is on Bravo TV. It’s a cable network. If you have a cable coverter, you don’t NEED a DTV converter box.
How many people grabbed a coupon under the “GIMMEE! IT’S FREE! mentality that didn’t need one? And how many TV’s are still in use in this country that are strictly analog? I’m sure the figures would be interesting.
If 10% of Conservatives cancelled their cable & Sat TV then we might have a semi-free press again. I cancelled mine. TV is worthless. The ball games are a waste of time as well.
I believe Britain has already switched over.
Are there DTV transmissions yet in Iraq?
There's nothing on - and people who are too stupid to have this scoped out shouldn't be watching TV anyway - they can't afford the automatic 15-point IQ drop that goes with it.
Well, I gotta watch ID...and the G4 channel....”Worlds Most Shocking Videos”...and...”Deranged”.
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