http://www.hearusnow.org/2009/01/now_hear_this_newsletter_janua.html
As we write this blog legislation that would delay the transition to digital television broadcasting from February 17 the June 12 is in a state of limbo in Congress.
Last week the Senate passed a bill to delay the transition and that same legislation was on the House floor this past Tuesday evening where it was considered under a suspension of rules, which requires approval by a two thirds majority. Although a strong majority of the House voted in favor of the bill, it fell short of the two thirds total that was needed.
The legislation could be brought back again for consideration under regular House rules, which would only require approval by a simple majority. But with the transition date just 19 days away the clock is ticking louder and louder.
Consumers Union, the sponsor of this blog, strongly supports a delay in the DTV transition.
Without a delay millions of people who watch free, over-the-air broadcasting will see their screens go blank on February 17th. The biggest impact will be on some of the country’s most vulnerable people, including the elderly and low income populations.
A government-run coupon program meant to help people buy digital to analog converter boxes is a mess and it is getting worse by the day. The program ran out of money a couple of weeks ago and has since been putting people on a waiting list, which is growing longer with each passing hour. That waiting list is now at 3.2 million requests and is growing by approximately 150,000 a day.
Another big problem is that the coupons have a 90-day expiration date – something that many consumers only discover when they have taken their coupons to a retailer or go online to buy their converter boxes.
Many people who have purchased and installed their converter boxes are also having problems. Many aren’t able to pick up the stations they have received with no problem in the past. Many are finding they need to buy and install an expensive new antenna to pick up the same channels – and even that doesn’t solve the problem for some.
On January 22, 2009, A.C. Nielsen reported that 6.5 million households remain completely unready for the transition and 10.5 million households are only partially ready. At the two-coupon-per-household limit, these 17 million households represent a potential of more than 34 million coupon requests. The Nielsen study also reports that the “not ready” rate among African American and Hispanic households is 70 percent higher than among the general population.
Millions of consumers who acted early and responsibly continue to find themselves stranded on a waiting list for assistance to purchase the equipment they need in order to maintain access to critical news and information.
It is not fair to force millions of rural, elderly, low-income households to bear the financial burden of this federally mandated transition. Many have already profited of stand to profit handsomely from the transition – broadcasters, cable and satellite companies, wireless companies, even the federal government – virtually everyone except the millions of people throughout the nation who are being asked to literally pay for it.
With modest adjustments to the coupon program, more on-the-ground resources for consumers in need of assistance and more clarity for families wondering if they need to climb on their roof in the middle of February to install an antenna, the nation will be able to responsibly move forward. But the only way to achieve this is to extend the date until June 12th and get to work.
2 Posted by Howard Tubre at 01/29/09 01:34 PMIt's true...the elderly and poor of all ages will suffer.
3 Posted by Wayne Ware at 01/29/09 01:35 PMHold on the transition to digital.
Our nation does not need to be dictated by either party. I am not prepared for a transition and I am sure that many other US citizens are likewise in this same situation.
Thank you
4 Posted by Pat Meier at 01/29/09 02:29 PMSome families just down right can't afford all this new technology. These are the ones that this postponement will benefit the most. Some are just procrastinators who put off everything until the last possible second. Most families have already made the preparations and are HDTV ready.
Another case of nothing is correct for everyone, just some. This family believes that you either do or you don't. There's no inbetween
5 Posted by TOM URCIUOLI at 01/29/09 02:44 PMI disagree!
Where have these people been for the last 2 or more years?
This change-over should not be a surprise.
6 Posted by Larry Netardus at 01/29/09 02:44 PMDelay, the people who will be most likely cut off are most likley not have any other form of entertainment!
7 Posted by Roland B, Smith at 01/29/09 02:53 PMI have received the coupons, purchased and have installed the converters on my TV's that are not connected to cable. I get a relatively stable picture with the standard antenna on the TV. However, I live in an area that is not very far from the stations that broadcast the signals. When I go out of town and away from the broadcst signals, I may have to buy an antenna that costs too much for what I will get in reception. We purchased our converters on the last day before the expiration date because we could not find any stores that had the converters in stock any earlier. It is absolutely stupid to put an expiration date on the coupons and then expect the stores to stock enough converters to supply the public on a timely basis. The cost of the converters was supposed to be covered mostly by the coupon, but that also did not happen. I believe the total cost of the converter should have been borne by those that will profit from the change to digitizing the signals, the broadcasters, cable and satellite companies, wireless companies and the federal government.
8 Posted by David Kaplan at 01/29/09 03:06 PMHave pity on the poor. The networks can afford the delay.
delay the start.4771826
9 Posted by Celia at 01/29/09 05:10 PMWhen should this change-over take place. I has been two years. What should the criteria be for some action. I would like a concrete answer
10 Posted by STEVE at 01/29/09 05:36 PMIt is not fair, they want to control everyone, it is just another way to say pay through the nose to watch what used to be free. Then Cable came in and no one controls the prices. It's way too much. What started out to be 25.00 a month is now more than doubled. We are on fixed income and can't afford it.
11 Posted by R Golden at 01/29/09 06:23 PMLet the government pass a bill for the poor with a requirement that they can prove they are poor. It seems that many of the socalled poor are not really poor. Example is the free lunch programs at school. Sign a form and you get free lunch with no questions asked for proof. [Seems that is the same deal for the banks and auto industry -- get the money and spend it without proof of the use.]
For the procrastinators --- their fault even though there was some problems. [I understand procratination; I practice it all the time.]
Do the broadcasters have to stop analog? Can they voluntarily continue both systems? It might cost them a dollar or so, but that would solve some of the problem. They are already broadcasting both now.
12 Posted by tafida elsherif at 01/30/09 08:35 AMI believe I was one of the first to ask for and receive the(2) coupons for the conversion process. However not until I received them thatI became aware that I had to use them within a 90 day period. I failed to do that, thus I couldn't use them . To put a deadline on getting the box was an absolutely foolish thing to do since the time for the analog to be changed to the digital was at that time almost a year away.
13 Posted by John Albertini at 01/30/09 12:37 PMI disagree what If the people could not be afford to buy a new one? please hold on the transition of digital tv
14 Posted by demast at 01/30/09 08:15 PMEnough. Let's get on with the transition. It was supposed to happen YEARS ago. No more delays.
Let's get it OVER WITH NOW!!!
15 Posted by Regis DiGiacomo at 02/03/09 12:02 PMMost of the info being put out, including the PSA's on tv and the gov. web site, implies that hooking up your shiny new converter box will solve everything. Wrong! the box is the least of the problem. Unless you live within 25 or so miles of the transmitter, and unless all of the stations you watch are transmitted from roughly the same location, you'll probably need a rooftop antenna( and it will have to meet pretty specific requirements for distance, range, and other technical specifications depending on your situation) , RG6 cable, maybe a rotator, a mast - easily $150+ -and someone to put it up and aim it properly. You can get a poor quality analog signal and still get a passibly watchable picture, albeit fuzzy or snowy, and good audio. However, a digital signal has to be perfect or you get no picture or audio at all. Thus, many people who now use rabbit ears will be out of luck even with a converter box. The FCC and tv stations have wasted the past two years, and are now trying to blame this mess on consumers. FYI, go to TVFool.com, for a map that will actually show you where your local stations transmit from, which is where you need to aim your antenna.
16 Posted by Paul LaRochelle at 02/03/09 12:23 PMThe change-over should be done on Feb 17 as planned. It's absurd to wait any longer. The planning has been going on for several years - this is no surprise - unless someone has been living under a rock. Delaying four months won't make any difference. There are some people who will never be prepared. In this case the 'two by four' approach is useful - the screen goes dark and they ask 'was I supposed to do something?' - duh.
17 Posted by Dave Van Amburg at 02/03/09 12:25 PMThe transition should go through, with all the money the government needs to spend on helping the financial crisis in this country, the government should not spend more money on this transition. It will cost millions in additional funding to delay the transition, which is a total waste of money. The same people who didn't use their coupon before will do it again, and people who say they can't afford it, won't magically get richer if we wait. Sometimes people have to be made to change for the better.
18 Posted by Eric Lee Elliott at 02/03/09 12:42 PMDigital is coming. End of story. (Public comment and arguments regarding the best use of the spectrum are long over and the decision is past any possible chance of revocation.)
The 'coupon program' was a non-starter from the beginning. Whether it is a case of simple poor design or intentional obfuscation is a moot argument today. It didn't work and can't be fixed.
Solve the problem by quickly instituting a 'mail-in rebate' program. Buy a box, apply for a rebate. There are commercial firms in place which can administer the program (just as they do for hundreds of manufacturers). No new government agency needed.
Given assurance that a rebate is in place there is no reason to delay the transition.
Only new 'program' that would be needed is a data base disallowing 'double dipping' by using coupon and rebate. This is another simple data base exercise that private firms can easily handle.
Will it 'leak' and some subvert the system? Of course. What man devises, man will subvert, but the costs will be far less than the delay would impose on the public. (Yes, we the public will be the ones paying for the costs to all the TV stations, cell phone companies and regulators who would 'pay' for the delay.)
Think outside the box, solve the problem, get on with the transition and life. We have far bigger problems that need our and Congress' attention.
19 Posted by Dagnabit at 02/03/09 01:36 PMYour pity will not help those too stupid to switch on a radio. What makes you think people that can afford and operate a 300 watt TV, can not afford or can not operate a 2 watt radio?
Can you only understand storm warnings in video? Do you have a life or just a TV watching schedule?Have you not understood King Obambi was placed on the throne by TV?
People that need your sympathy would be better without TV. Yes, without TV. Since 2007, I have not had TV. Entertainment comes to me from DVDs, Max McLane, FM radio, AM radio, SILENCE, my own original thoughts. Learning, weather warnings, local news, political news, all are quick & easy thru my computers and radios.
20 Posted by sanjose13 at 02/03/09 01:49 PMBig cry babies ! Why haven't you been preparing for this change for the last couple years. You could have set aside $1.every week to get either a new TV or get cable or get a converter box. But "no" you want the government to do it all for you. You will not help yourself progress in life, someone has to do it for you. You cry babies are all alike; "I dont like change, so the government is going to pay for it". "The government is NOT going to tell me and my TV what to do". Well, go ahead and scamper back into your hole with the groundhog. You deserve it. Idiots.
21 Posted by frank m at 02/03/09 02:20 PMEVERYONE I know has been prepared for the past FOUR MONTHS for this switchover!
We have been bombarded with television ads reminding us that this was going to happen.
I'm sorry for the idiots who didn't read their coupons and didn't get the discount, BUT I don't think everyone else should suffer for their stupidity.
I have been anxiously awaiting this switchover so that emergency services in my ares can get the airwaves they need in the future. I also want the additional bandwidth for wireless communications.
Millions of dollars are tied up waiting for this to happen, and procrastinators are ALWAYS the last to get on board.
DON'T DELAY THE SWITCHOVER!
22 Posted by Mary at 02/03/09 02:47 PMWhere do I go to tell congress to NOT DELAY!
There has been MORE than enough information about this. Now - if they wanted to do something good for a change - they should mandate that the cable companies must eliminate all the fee's that have been just passed on into our bills. I have 10 different taxes on my cable bill! COME ON! And now thanks to the way they have manipulated the Digital signal on cable - I MUST have a converter box on each tv in order to get ALL the channels I pay for. There used to be "cable-ready" and "cable-compatible" - how come even though all the new TV's are digital NONE of them can receive all the NON-PAY channels without the use of a box I must RENT for $10 per month PER TV!OH - and those rebate cards - WHY was there ever an expiration date!
23 Posted by Lou Baltz at 02/03/09 03:07 PMTV is addictive poison - WOULD YOU PROVIDE FREE COCAINE FOR ALL TOO????
It is my belief that all Americans that want to stay in touch easily can. The internet (available free in public libraries) is a much better way of staying in touch. TV's provide a heavy diet of Junk food for the brain. Most portray and thereby proliferate a lot of violence. TV has been shown to wire the brains of Children to require overstimulation, not a good thing for our future!
MAKE IT MORE HARDER, NOT EASIER FOR AMERICANS TO BE TV JUNKIES!
24 Posted by Robert Miller at 02/03/09 05:43 PMWe have known about the change for years. I received my coupons in May and purchased the converters in June Why should I have to wait ,.Should I be penalized because I followed the procedure?
25 Posted by Robert Miller at 02/03/09 05:53 PMPlease do some research before putting such
Fact: The delay till June does not require any delay by broadcasters. Broadcasters can still switch on February 17th and many will. In fact MOST may. Of 1700 or so broadcasters over 700 have already notified the FCC they will. Hawaii already has.
Fact: This is not a switch since broadcasters have been digital since as early as 1998. Where were you the last ten years telling people about the "switch"? Anyone could have switched to digital for most of the last ten years.
Fact: The US has the worst digital TV modulation in the world. Because NO one, broadcasters, vendors or retailers, got on board and told anyone about it most people think it is a one day event maybe this month. Where were you when Congress and the FCC first foisted this junk on us and, when we refused to buy, crammed it down our throat with a MANDATE for receivers in every TV even though at least 85% of us use cable or satellite? Where were you when they then decided to subsidize converter boxes for the poor that were crippled as SD instead of HD?
If you had wanted to help the poor you could have been paying attention. As it is we are seeing the DEATH of over the air free broadcasting,,, BY DESIGN!
BY DESIGN of broadcasters who have a conflict of interest with the spectrum we gave them for free. They now get paid by cable per subscriber for their free over the air content. Why would broadcasters want an over the air system that works that well? Every OTA customer is lost revenue.
In other countries such as the UK 73% of homes now have at least one over the air digital receiver. There was NO subsidy. There was NO mandate. People bought receivers because the modulation worked and everyone got on board. They did this all since 2004 not 1998.
Do some research.
26 Posted by Chuck at 02/04/09 09:27 AMHere is a bit more.
The converter box is only 10% of the problem. The modulation is the problem which will require intense antenna attention in many cases. In many other cases the customer will get not reception at all. In very many cases the customer will get reception that is intermittent because of dynamic multi-path.
A lot of people will spend a lot of money trying to get this to work with antenna and fail. A lot of people will give up right away.
Every ask yourself why Qualcomm can deliver very good digital TV reception to cell phones with hidden dipole antennas no more than three inches while with the garbage digital TV modulation broadcasters have to use all your poor and elderly can't get decent reception in very many cases with rooftop antennas?
Because broadcasters, the FCC, the NTIA, cable/satellite/telco companies don't want it to be EASY.
If you really want to help tell the REAL story.
27 Posted by Ziti at 02/04/09 12:44 PMWhy would we want to delay this. I've been waiting for this since 1996. Yeah, let's stay in the stone age.
28 Posted by Michael F at 02/04/09 01:04 PMI just sent the 04FEB letter to my congressperson. In it I included another argument for delaying the 17FEB DTV transition: rising unemployment.
I suspect that millions of people who are now unprepared are those who never thought they would be. They didn't buy DTV converter boxes, televisions or antennas because they bought in to the well-promoted idea of getting and/or keeping their cable or satellite TV subscriptions.
Suddenly, you get a pink slip. What do you do now? Forego shelter, food or clothing (in mid-winter yet) just to keep your set operating with Comcast's help? Buy a DTV you now can't afford and then climb up on an icy roof to install an antenna? I suspect many will have to make thses choices.
Please make your congressperson aware of this additional situation.
29 Posted by Jeanne at 02/16/09 10:07 AMThere's been more than enough time and outreach addressing the transition. Mobile phones, wireless internet, "blackberrys", and a multitude of modern technology devices need the spectrum because people demand it. DO NOT DELAY!
30 Posted by Dana at 02/17/09 04:00 PMHelp! I have done all that I was told that needed to be done to get more channels and clearer pictures. Well Bull!! There are very few channels and most of them have the voices and faces distorted. Each time I change channels, I have to get up and work with the antenna to try to get something that I can ALMOST see. Channel 2 (CBS) is totally gone. I like to watch David Letterman and Dr. Phil, but as I cannot get CBS, that is now not possible. What is going on and why can't we just watch tv as usual???
31 Posted by Fred at 05/12/09 11:19 PMWell, I for one am SICK and TIRED of being SCREWED by the cable and dish type "providers". It is very frustrating to pay and pay and continually LOSE programming and then be given a runaround about why. I am glad there is a delay in the transition so that maybe MORE people will Disconnect from these robbers and go back to the FREE aircasts.That is what I am doing. I will need the time to make sure I have the equipment and go FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
32 Posted by mark at 06/15/09 08:11 PMLets get serious, changing to digital just puts more in the governments pocket. Next there will be a federal air taxes. We pay air taxes in Tennessee for satelitte TV. Now the select few in congress will continue to make decisions for the public whether we like it or not. Watch digital, then watch taxes. We are taxed to death and the poor get poorer, rich get richer.
Well the changeover has happened. I live on Long Island NY. I got the converter box early, and I have a rooftop antenna. I now get ONE CHANNEL. They tell us we are too far from the broadcast tower...they tell us we are on the fringe of coverage. But all I know is that I have no TV anymore, and no ability to pay for cable. What the hell am I supposed to do????
