Border broadcasters fret over digital switch (Mexican stations on older TVs)

Houston Chronicle ^ | 12/21/07 | SUZANNE GAMBOA

[Libloather]

Free stations in Mexico may mean many viewers won't convert sets

Freedom of choice - no?

[inkling]

Sure they’ll watch Mexican stations, but all they’ll see is Chespirito and Sabado Gigante.

[denydenydeny]

TFB.

[Petronski]

U.S.-Mexico border fear they will be at a competitive disadvantage when the U.S. switches to digital television in 2009 because residents can still pick up Mexican stations on old TVs.

[wastedyears]

***TFB.***

Agreed

[South40]

[SevenofNine]

And mexican soap operas LOL!

[SouthTexas]

That’s as good as anything on now.

[Emmett McCarthy]

See? Another humanitarian reason for illegals to have to come here because if they don’t they won’t be able to watch TV and, if they can’t watch TV, how will they know who to vote for?

[silentreignofheroes]

Might lose this household anyway..

[ArmstedFragg]

those in the broadcasting region between Yuma, Ariz., and El Centro, Calif.

There is no broadcasting region between Yuma and El Centro. There's a station in El Centro, and two or more in Yuma, but no licensed stations between those two cities. They're all located on Black Mountain, which is 20 miles north of the border.

Several of San Diego's Digital Stations will be located on Mt. Miguel, which is about 10 miles north of the border, so why they're left out of the proposal is mystifying.

[inkling]

That’s as good as anything on now.

Actually, I'll take a Univision beauty pageant over anything on English-speaking TV. ;-)

[NonValueAdded]

People in the U.S. with old televisions will have to buy converter boxes or subscribe to cable or a satellite service to get programming.

How many people is that, 15 or 20? Seriously.

[GAB-1955]

Not necessarily. Many Mexican stations on the border aim their programming at the U.S. market just over the border. The days of the old “border blasters” like XERF are over, but XETRA covers San Diego, for example. Their programming is in English, but they are required to ID in Spanish and once a week play the Mexican national government program.

[TWohlford]

This might sounds non-PC, but exactly how many families in that part of the world do NOT have cable or dish?

I know that here in the Midwest, a person is not truly poor until they lack at least basic cable, which happens sometime after they start skipping meals.

[SouthTexas]

ROFLMAO

[SouthTexas]

They have a lot prettier...I better shut-up before I get into trouble.

[KarlInOhio]

Build a giant aluminum foil wall. It's like an aluminum foil hat for the entire nation.

[tellw]

I still don’t have cable tv. Rabbit ears only.

[Sgt_Schultze]

In the phase-out legislation, the government promised to give $40 coupons to folks who will need to buy converter boxes. Here is a story about LG's entry into the approved converter market.