DTV Delay Bill Fails in House; Switch Still Feb. 17
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Digital, Television, Analog | Themes: Business
Today the House of Representatives shot down the legislation to delay the nationwide switch to digital television signals.
On Monday, the Senate passed a bill to delay the nationwide switch from analog television signals over to digital, moving the original February 17 date three months back to June 12. Backed by President Obama himself, the delay would give consumers more time to get ready for the transition, especially the elderly, the poor and those living out in rural areas that would otherwise not have access to cable and satellite transmissions - amounting to roughly 20 million consumers. The bill was also to relieve some of the problems with the Commerce Department's TV converter box coupon program by speeding up the delivery of coupons and issuing replacement coupons.
However, today the bill failed to gain two-thirds support in the House of Representatives. "It's really unfortunate," said Joel Kelsey, an analyst at Consumers Union. "Consumers are staring at a big, fat, unfunded mandate in the midst of an economic crisis."
Reuters is reporting that Democrats may return with a revised bill next week, one that would permit amendments and require a simple majority to pass. However, if the House does approve any changes, the bill would then have to return to the Senate for final approval. In addition to pushing back the transition date and fixing the coupon problem, the current bill was to extend the licenses for $16 million worth of spectrum - space that will be freed up by the analog to digital switch - by about four months; both AT&T and Verizon Communications have claimed a stake in the virtual territory.
As of January 21, 2009 almost 50 million households have requested the government-funded coupons, with the average daily orders in the last 30 days ranging around 237,000. Currently the government has mailed out 46.5 million coupons, however only 21 million of those coupons have been redeemed. According to the NTIA, there are 187 coupon-eligible converter boxes available; 86 of those converter boxes are certified, 51 of which can pass through analog signals, now available in retail stores. There are also 101 certified converter boxes, of which 58 can pass through analog signals, not yet available in retail stores. Each box costs around $40-70.
Additionally, 93 percent or 1,631 out of 1,759 full-power TV stations are broadcasting in digital today. Although 19.6 million households receive over-the-air signals exclusively in their homes, roughly 70 million television sets are at risk of losing their signals come February 17.
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I think votes in the House of Representatives is more reflective of the citizens opinion. So it doesn't come as a surprise to me that this did not pass. Most of us consider a TV a voluntary device. Even if the signal for a TV were to completely get shutoff it is by no means being in total silence as radio is 100% free and has been traditionally accepted as the main source for information along with Newspapers. Spending a potential $500 million more for government coupons is not acceptable to me, neither is waiting for coupons to expire when consumers were warned in advance for over a year.
Oh no, some people won't be able to watch TV! What will they do? Should we continue to delay the switch until there is a DTV in every house? What about homeless people, how will they watch TV? Maybe waking up and having a TV that doesn't work will motive people to get a converter. Why should the majority wait for the minority?
Why not? We went and spent 700 billion on a bailout package that didn't halt the recession and we are poised to spend another 800 billion that also won't do a damn thing to halt the recession. Japan has without a doubt proved (recently as well) that you CANNOT spend your way out of a recession but Mr. People Pleaser Obama seems to think that we can.
Our country is pretty much running on monopoly money now-a-days anyways why not just print up another $500 million and hand it out to all the bums who didn't get the hint from the YEARS of commercials that they needed to take advantage of the FREE converter boxes or go buy one for themselves.
Nah, instead of expecting these people who procrastinated and missed out on the free stuff to go BUY a converter box for themselves or better yet god forbid just stop watching television lets BUY IT FOR THEM.
Socialism all around. Welcome to the USSA.
I want to see the DTV date stay right where it is. We already had the date moved a few years ago, so now it is put up or shut up time!
It seems that most "poor" people have cable anyway! (then complain that they don't have any MONEY!!)
We need to make the switch on Feb 17th and get it done. More delays means more wasted money spent on something should have had happened long time ago.
I want to see the DTV date stay right where it is. We already had the date moved a few years ago, so now it is put up or shut up time!It seems that most "poor" people have cable anyway! (then complain that they don't have any MONEY!!)
That's because the gov't is supposed to take care of everyone. Isn't that was democracy means in Greek!?!?!?!? That's what all my socialist....er liberal professors taught me!?!??!?
If you cant afford a hdtv by now (2009) you just need to be taken out back and shot people!
good
Six years of a senseless war have driven the US into the ground. Now we pay the price for all those pallets of $100 bills Rumsfeld sent to Baghdad on those C-17's...
Don't blame Obama for trying to clean out the deep sh%t that b1oody warmonger Bush and his cronies left our country in.
Did anyone else notice that less than 1/2 of the coupons already given out have been cashed? This with (theoretically) less than 1 month to the transition.
It is HIGHLY unlikely the 55+% of unredeemed coupons are from folks who just have gotten around to it - it is due to people asking for the coupons when they did not need them or hording them for future sale (probably a small minority). In any event it appears ~95% (or more) of households are ready for the transition... and that apparently is not good enough! What's the magic #? 100%? 99.5%?
I suspect once some people's screens go black, they may figure out there was some sort of transition. At that point those people can live with out TV (GASP!) for a few days while they go buy a $40 converter box. Do you think the people who haven't figured it out by now will suddenly figure it out in the next 3 months?
There are ~4million people on the waiting list and ~24million unused coupons. It is irrational to think that all 24mil will suddenly be cashed in. For the 4 million or so people on the list, they should have to buy the box with their own money due to their procrastination and then given first crack at the unused coupons as they expire.
If we do it the other way (allocate more money for coupons and end up with a large surplus at the end of the transition)... that money will just roll into the general gov't slush fund and be wasted elsewhere. The gov't should learn to live within their means just as people are expected to. The DTV transition is not some sort of national crisis or emergency which should justify emergency spending above what was budgeted - this is the FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM with the US gov't (spending beyond their means with no repercussions)
"Although 19.6 million households receive over-the-air signals exclusively in their homes, roughly 70 million television sets
are at risk of losing their signals come February 17. "
You know what - you want a free box, fine you should be able to get one. You have 2,3 5 TV's in your house (or have cable on one TV and use OTA for another)...then you should have to pay for the damn boxes after the first one! If people are justifying the free box due to communication and use of TV as receipt of critical information... how exactly do you justify that need on 2,3 or more TV sets... if you have that many TV's (or can afford cable) then you've given up your claim of poverty to a free box for a secondary TV.
Look at the #'s above: 19.6million households receive OTA exclusively - that should be about the # of free coupons. With 46million coupons given out, it is clear the system is being abused and misused. And for those arguing it's only a little more money and we have a huge deficit anyway - if you are in debt up to ears would you continue to light cigars with 100 bills as it is only a little bit compared to your actual debt. Waste is waste! Prior waste does not justify the continued need to waste more money.
Now don't you guys feel stupid for just the other day announcing the delay was official?
Im going to show the same respect to Obama as you Bush haters did to him. Crap on Obama and any thing he tries or does while in office. Republican for life. You people that supported Obama I bet are sorry now, or soon will be. Im sitting back laughing because he is certainly not MY President!
I signed up for the two coupons allowed the first day they were available. I received them about 3 weeks later, then I went to Wal-Mart and bought my two converter boxes for about $50 a piece. Then that same day I put them on eBay. I sold them for about $70 a piece. Oddly someone from Canada bought one for some reason. So I profited about $40 on the deal. Thank you U.S. Gov!
I agree that the date shouldn't be pushed back because it's been several years now that the word has been out about the transition. The date has already been pushed back about two times already. I'm originally from Northeast Ohio, U.S.A. and the Cleveland stations have been broadcasting in HD since 2003.
Sometimes we just can't wait for the few lazy, ill informed people who don't get with the program and take the time to make the transition. It's not that hard and doesn't really cost that much money even if you are on welfare.
Just my thoughts...
@ solider37
Don't fall into the same old ignorant commenter group like the Bush hater's do. I didn't vote for Obama or McCain but he is still OUR President no matter what. No, I don't agree with everything Bush did, nor do I agree with what Obama wants to do, but I try to portray my views in a civil and intelligent manner. It sucks that there are too many whack job bomb throwers out there and like like keyboard tough guys who boast stupid, ignorant comments.
Just my thoughts...
Correcting my last sentence...
"It sucks that there are too many whack job bomb throwers out there and that act like keyboard tough guys who boast stupid, ignorant comments."
I sometimes think faster than i type.
Correcting my last sentence..."It sucks that there are too many whack job bomb throwers out there and that act like keyboard tough guys who boast stupid, ignorant comments."I sometimes think faster than i type.
If you hadn't of said anything I wouldn't had noticed
Who cares? Get it over with.
If we're seriously going to wait for EVERYONE to be "DTV-Ready" before making the switch, we will be waiting literally forever.
Waiting for people to be proactive has diminishing returns. The people that aren't ready for the switch by now (but still demand help from the government) aren't going to be ready in May, either. It's not like they haven't already been getting the word out for 18 months.
Hooray!