Obama Team Asks Congress to Postpone Digital TV Switch

[DainBramaged]

President-elect Barack Obama's transition team today asked key members of Congress to consider delaying the nation's switch to digital television scheduled for Feb. 17, saying there is "insufficient support" for the problems consumers will experience during the shut-off of analog signals.
In a letter sent to Capitol Hill this afternoon, and obtained by The Washington Post, the transition team said congressional action is needed. The action would be the "first step" toward helping consumers get ready for the transition to digital television. It also called funds provided to support the conversion "woefully inadequate."

The request for a delay comes 41 days before the government-mandated switch to all-digital broadcasts, which requires the nation's full-powered television stations to permanently shut off the traditional analog signals they have used for more than half a century. Analog television sets that rely on "rabbit ear" or rooftop antennas to receive broadcasts will not work unless they are upgraded with a converter box. Consumers who have digital TV sets, or who subscribe to cable or satellite service, will not lose programming.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/08/AR2009010802586.html?hpid=topnews

[jwirr]

1. We need more than just a postponement. My granddaughter bought

the magic box and started using it about 2 months ago. It blew up last week. Does anyone know if there are any problems with other boxes?

[ColbertWatcher]

2. Bad move.

The President can't ask for a delay on something comparatively simple as switching from analog to digital TV.

Someone else should have asked for a postponement.

What's going to happen when we switch over to single-payer healthcare?

When there's a "first day" that every American will be covered?

Damn.

[Why Syzygy]

5. I'm sure there will be a lot of do-overs

since we have had a complete incompetent in charge for EIGHT years. I just see this as reflecting on the failure of the prior administration to even prepare for the slightest "progress" in an effective manner.

[ColbertWatcher]

10. I agree.

I just don't think he should have said anything.

[w4rma]

3. He probably shouldn't get involved in this . . . Just let it happen and blame Bush when things go

wrong. Bush set this up, giving Obama less than one month in office to prepare.

[Double T]

4. Another bungled bush FU.

It's going to take a while to address and deal with the multitudes of bushco FUs. 12 days till incompetence is eradicated from our system.

[ColbertWatcher]

6. Yup.

They can't even make a switch over with so many geeks out of work.

What a bunch of dumbasses.

[anigbrowl]

13. Fee fi fo FUD

I believe the reason few funds are left are because the majority of people already applied for their coupon, which coupons have been available since the beginning of last year. The FCC and everyone else have been advertising the changeover out the yin-yang for a long time - if you don't know what's up by now and how it affects you, it's your own fault.

I feel obliged to point out that Congress passed the law mandating a switch to digital back in 1997, and the matter has been under discussion in one form or another since 1985. The switch was originally scheduled for 2006, but was pushed back 3 years (in 2001) to give time for consumers, broadcasters, and manufacturers to catch up. So if you want to blame people, blame the FCC under Clinton as well.

[dysfunctional press]

7. that will piss off my aunt something fierce.

she just spent a bunch of money buying a new antenna and a new tv so that she could continue to watch. she HAD purchased the converter box- but she lives in a steep river valley(just 40 miles west of chicago- in east dundee, across the street from the haeger pottery factory), and even her raised antenna didn't have line of sight to the digital transmitter antenna. if they postpone it now, she might just have a stroke.

i think that A LOT of people who buy/bought the converter boxes will still end up having the same kind of problems she had, as far as not being able to receive the digital signal, even tho they CAN get the analog broadcast. the digital dignal is pretty much all or nothing.

[Not Me]

8. Who gives a shit.

This only affects those who:
1.) get their tv from over-the-air sources (not cable/Directtv etc)
2.) have been told incessently for the last year on tv that the 2/19/09 date was coming.
3.) Have had the opportunity to call/write/go online and get a free coupon for 2 free converter boxes.

What exactly is the issue here???

[marybourg]

Not enuf cupons

This week, federal officials said the program to distribute $40 coupons to consumers to help defray the cost of converter boxes has run out of money, so consumers who need the coupons may not receive them in time for the transition.

"With coupons unavailable, support and education insufficient, and the most vulnerable Americans exposed, I urge you to consider a change to the legislatively-mandated analog cutoff date," John Podesta, co-chair of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team wrote in the letter, which was sent to leaders of the Senate and House Commerce committees.

[marybourg]

9. Not enuf cupons

This week, federal officials said the program to distribute $40 coupons to consumers to help defray the cost of converter boxes has run out of money, so consumers who need the coupons may not receive them in time for the transition.

"With coupons unavailable, support and education insufficient, and the most vulnerable Americans exposed, I urge you to consider a change to the legislatively-mandated analog cutoff date," John Podesta, co-chair of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team wrote in the letter, which was sent to leaders of the Senate and House Commerce committees.

[Jamastiene]

11. I actually don't have any problem whatsoever with this.

No outrage here on this one. :shrug:

[Proud Liberal Dem]

12. Was this whole thing pretty much a sop to the electronics industry?

A quasi-bailout designed to line THEIR pockets with this switchover. I'm really beginning to wonder. Normally, I don't wear a :tinfoilhat: much but Bush, Cheney, et. al have just made me so darn paranoid.

[anigbrowl]

14. No. It has been discussed since 1985 and was made law in 1997.

It's already been completed in several countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_television_transition