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Many Americans still not ready for Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital
By Joelle Tessler
Associated Press
Published on Friday, Jan 09, 2009
WASHINGTON: President-elect Barack Obama is urging Congress to postpone the Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting, arguing that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air channels won't be ready.
In a letter to key lawmakers Thursday, Obama transition team co-chair John Podesta noted that the Commerce Department has run out of money for coupons to subsidize digital TV converter boxes for consumers. People who don't have cable or satellite service or a new TV with a digital tuner will need the converter boxes to keep their older analog sets working.
Obama officials are also concerned that the government is not doing enough to help Americans — particularly those in rural, poor or minority communities — prepare for and navigate the transition.
According to a Nielsen Co. analysis in December, 7.8 million U.S. households, about 6.8 percent, are completely unprepared for the digital transition — which Nielsen defines as ''no TV set would be able to receive a signal unless some change is made.''
In the Cleveland-Akron-Canton TV market, the news is even worse, according to Nielsen. An estimated 7.5 percent of local homes — about 115,000 of the 1.5 million homes in the area — are completely unprepared.
In 2005, Congress required that broadcasters switch from analog to digital broadcasts, which are more efficient, to free up valuable chunks of wireless spectrum. The newly available room in the airwaves can be used for commercial wireless services and for emergency-response networks.
Podesta's letter went to the top Democrats and Republicans on the Senate and House Commerce committees. Because Congress set the Feb. 17 date, it would have to pass a new law to postpone it.
The Obama team decided to push for a delay after the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, an arm of the Commerce Department, said Monday that it had hit a $1.34 billion funding limit set by Congress to pay for converter box coupons. Consumers can request up to two $40 vouchers per household to help pay for the boxes, which generally cost between $40 and $80.
The NTIA said it had no choice but to start a waiting list for coupon requests. Congress would need to step in with more money or new accounting rules to get the program back on track.
Beacon Journal pop culture writer Rich Heldenfels contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON: President-elect Barack Obama is urging Congress to postpone the Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting, arguing that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air channels won't be ready.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 06:13 AM, 01/09/2009
I would hope he is worrying about more important matters than people watching television. Here is a concept for people, read some books...or better, get a job.
Posted 08:16 AM, 01/09/2009
What ever will people do if they cannot watch TV?!
Personally, I cannot watch for this switch to come... I am tired of all the "the sky is falling" commercials and news stories about it.
Posted 12:06 PM, 01/09/2009
When you're poor TV is all the entertainment you have. When you are poor Cable is one of the things you give up to pay your utility bills. You can't go out to movies, shows and concerts so you stay at home and watch TV. We got the coupons/cards and were unable to get the money together to buy a box before they expired; bills and gasoline to go to work came first. Our VCR broke and we can't afford to get it fixed either. The Internet is our only luxury.
Posted 09:08 PM, 01/10/2009
I was poor growing up and we had no luxuries, well minus a bed to sleep in and mac-n-cheese made with water, no milk.
I read, read everything I could get my hands on and my parents pushed this. I did not have a TV until I was 9 years old and you can get by.
Amazing how many "poor" people are obese and lazy...and you wonder how they are poor...
