Obama Again Urges Digital TV Delay
A presidential advisor says the situation is getting worse.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (January 21, 2009) -- President Obama's team has sent a second letter to Congress urging that it delay next month's transition from analog TV signals to digital.
The Washington Post reports that the letter, which was sent January 19, the day before Obama officially became president, says the nation needs more time to prepare for the transition.
The letter came from John Podesta, who headed the Obama transition team. Podesta also sent a Jan. 8 letter to key congressional leaders urging a delay in the transition which is now scheduled for February 17, 2009.
Since then, the situation has only gotten worse, Podesta stated in this week's letter, according to the Post. Lack of appropriate planning has left many consumers vulnerable.
On February 17, 2009, all full-powered local stations are scheduled to switch their analog signals to digital which means viewers will need a Digital TV, a digital converter box or a pay TV subscription to continuing watching television.
By law, every American home is eligible to receive two $40 coupons for converter boxes, but federal officials say they are out of funds and have been putting people on waiting lists for two weeks. Without the coupons, consumers would have to purchase the converters with 100 percent of their own money; converters cost between $40 and $75.
Consequently, concerns are growing that millions of consumers will not be ready when the transition occurs. In addition to the coupon snafu, some lawmakers and others have also expressed concern that consumers need further education on issues such as antenna upgrades.
Both the House and Senate are considering bills that would delay the transition until June 12, despite objections from some House Republicans who say a delay would only further confuse consumers.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee today postponed action on the House bill today, saying it wanted to review the Senate's plans, according to the Associated Press. Dow Jones reports that the Senate could vote on its bill to delay the transition to June 12 as early as this week.
