Us American nerds have known for literally years that analog TV signals were eventually going to be shut off. Congress set the date of February 17, 2009 a few years ago and in true government fashion, that date *might* be pushed to June 12 with the digital coupon program to blame. You see, funding ran out for the $40 coupons weeks ago but procrastinating consumers are just now applying causing a backlog of 2.1 million applicants – or so they say. Now Congress wants to push back the date and bailout all these American households that will loss their local news and prime time TV.
I will bet you anything that if the FCC phones the people that applied and simply asks, “Do you have cable or satellite?” the list could be cut down dramatically. Even though there have been commercial after paper mailer after radio spot about antenna-only folk need the digital converter, a lot of consumers still don’t get it. Ironically my neighbor, who steals my cable, asked what they were suppose to do. I laughed inside and said “Nothing at all.”
The big wigs that make these decisions were suppose to meet today. No word just yet about the results but I would bet an Obama quarter that the date gets pushed back to at least June.
I also heard that President-elect Obama is trying to push the date to a later one after the inauguration.
They’ve been advertising for this for 2 years. It’s just like us (as Americans) to procrastinate until the last second to do anything about it. I hope those people DON’T get the coupon, and MAYBE some of them will learn… Ok, probably not. We don’t learn, we complain…
Dude, you’re carrying Barry Soetoro’s water.
Barry has an “advisor” who’s on temporary leave from Sprint helping to put off the digital conversion as long as possible in order to maintain/grow Sprint’s 4G lead over Verizon.
Everything changed 11/4/08. There is NO LONGER any journalistic oversight of the government. The media was and is in the tank for the Messiah.
So bend over America.
The whole concept of using federal money for these measly $40 coupons just so someone can get their television entertainment baffles me. We’re at a time of “financial crisis” yet are going to pour money into television watching. Who can’t get $40? If television is THAT important, surely its worth one tank of gas.
We’re already behind countries like Japan on the technological side, any delay to something as trivial as tv just is so.. awkward.