Obama Urges Delay In Digital TV Transition

President-elect Says Too Many Americans With Analog TV Sets Won't Be Ready For Feb. Switch

(CBS/ AP)  President-elect Barack Obama is urging Congress to postpone the Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting, arguing that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air channels won't be ready.

In a letter to key lawmakers Thursday, Obama transition team co-chair John Podesta noted that the Commerce Department has run out of money for coupons to subsidize digital TV converter boxes for consumers. People who don't have cable or satellite service or a new TV with a digital tuner will need the converter boxes to keep their older analog sets working.

Obama officials are also concerned that the government is not doing enough to help consumers prepare for and navigate 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," Podesta wrote.

Just as the economic downturn has people foregoing expensive purchases like new TVs, government aid to buy converter boxes dries up, reported CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker. Those hardest hit are the elderly, the poor and rural Americans. And the government isn't very sympathetic, Whitaker reports.

"If they do not get their coupon in time, we recommend that they either buy a converter box without a coupon, buy another television, or connect to cable, satellite or another pay television service," says Meredith Atwell Baker, with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Congress required that broadcasters switch from analog to digital broadcasts, which are more efficient, to free up valuable chunks of wireless spectrum. The newly available room in the airwaves can be used for commercial wireless services and for emergency-response networks.

Podesta's letter went to the top Democrats and Republicans on the Senate and House Commerce committees. Congress mandated the Feb. 17 changeover and would have to pass a new law to postpone the date.

[cdegolier]

Non of these people will die without television. Read a book. I don''t feel the government (taxpayers) should have to pay anyway.

[cherry9105]

GO OBAMA GO!

[greeneyes222]

"Non of these people will die without television. I don''''t feel the government (taxpayers) should have to pay anyway." Posted by cdegolier

The government should have to pay because the government is the one taking away their perfectly good tv''s while making $19.6 billion off the sale of the bandwidth.

You''re likely to feel different if the government takes away something you''ve already paid for and can''t afford to replace.

And someday you may live to be old, although as ignorant as you are of the facts, I doubt it.

[notfooled]

What''s all the hoopla about. Who even needs a boob tube anyway?

Watching television will make you stupid and gullible.

Buy Buy Buy - its moronic to continue to watch such trash.

My advice is to throw out the T.V. and start doing something constructive with your time.

You''re all wasting your lives watching the idiot box.

But the Gov wants you to have T.V. so they can continue to make you stupid.

[bobnjersey]

[Congress required that broadcasters switch from analog to digital broadcasts, which are more efficient, to free up valuable chunks of wireless spectrum. The newly available room in the airwaves can be used for commercial wireless services and for emergency-response networks. ]

good cover for the real reason ... which was to obsolete the whole population of analog sets in the market and force people to either buy cable ... or buy a new tv. money well spent for the cable and consumer electronics lobby.

another fine example of lobbying and how it defines policy that affects you.

[likeitis5050]

So, to accommodate the dullards who have sat on their azzes until the 11th hour (while responsible people who were on the ball and believed the deadline to be just that) Obama wants to push things back and what? Have ACORN go door to door and physically take these whimpering diptwads to get the stupid converters? Poor and disadvantaged.....watch what''s coming....upgrades to flat screens. Why not...it''s the year of the bailout and big spender give-away!! All aboard!!!

[kevsan1]

Not quite right.... the Government was going to make a fortune - in auctioning off/licensing the spectrum freed up. That was one of the reasons along with Homeland Security use. It''s costing the broadcasting industry a fortune to make the change and many stations are running into problems.

[concorde5]

I have relatives who are too poor to afford converter boxes without coupons. She is living on a fixed income and has no money left after she pays her bills. In fact her bills are slightly more than her income.

Obama is doing a great job so far!

[visionwatch]

You Don''t Get It.
The networks want to compete with cable and satellite.
Do you honestly think They''re doing this for you?
There are people in this country that can''t figure out how to use their electronics devices if they have "more tham ONE BUTTON". Do you think they really understand this.

MAKE THEM SIMULCAST! It''s the least they can do for all of the COMMERCIALS WE HAVE TO WATCH.

TA...TA...For Now.

[piercetheval]

Do want you want; just leave it as is until the Super Bowl. GO CHARGERS!

[piercetheval]

...Obamas'' probably planning a lot of televizied announcements and does''t want anyone to miss them.

OBAMAVISION!

So, to accommodate the dullards who have sat on their azzes until the 11th hour (while responsible people who were on the ball and believed the deadline to be just that) Obama wants to push things back and what?

Posted by likeitis5050 at 04:17 PM : Jan 08, 2009

Or perhaps it was the dullards (like yourself)that allowed the government to do this because they wanted to sell off bandwidth.

The broadcasting stations didn''t really want this, neither did the majority of viewers. It was a govenment decision we didn''t vote on. Therefore the government should pay for all the costs involved in this switch.

So you consider a dullard someone who might not be able purchase a new digital TV? Responsible is someone who can afford a new TV?

No my friend, the dullard is you and many others who just sit back, let the government do what they want, never ask any questions and let us pay for the result either through taxes or at our own cost.

[pjh822]

Do want you want; just leave it as is until the Super Bowl. GO CHARGERS!


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Posted by piercetheval at 04:37 PM : Jan 08, 2009
+ report abuse

I''m not a Chargers fan, but I have to admit that Darren Sproles was very impressive against the Colts last weekend. I had never seen him play before.

[tvgenius]

Sorry, but if in the last year they haven''t been able to scrape together $50 to get a converter box, and somehow missed out on a year of PSAs warning them to hurry up and get a converter, then they need to use the time freed up by not having a working TV and get a part time job to pay for a converter.

[edamos54]

Long ago I stopped believing anything the government
was doing was for my good. Someone''s pocket is being
lined - but it''s not mine.

[concorde5]

I grew up in abject poverty. I''m talking about Feed the Children poverty. We would never have been able to afford converter boxes. People are still that poor. I know it is hard for some people to understand real poverty because you have never faced it.

But I know poverty and I understand why some people can''t afford converter boxes. If you can''t afford cable TV you probably can''t afford converter boxes. Some poeple are living on less that $200 per month.

When your income is that low, you have no extra for anything. I remember as a kid, if I wanted something and it cost money, the answer was NO. Even if it only cost 50cents. The answer was NO because every cent was accounted for and needed to be used for bills or food.

There are still people in this country in the deep south, in appalachia, and other parts of the country who are just that poor.

We should be judged by how we treat the least of our citizens in this, the richest nation in the world.

[debinok1]

They never should have tried to fix what was not broken. These coupons have been a nightmare to the consumers. They are issued with an expiration of 90 days but the arrival time to the consumer is 4 to 8 weeks. By the time the consumer actually gets the coupon it has 30 to 45 days before it expires. Then comes the stores that carry the boxes. They don''t have the boxes in stock or have them priced above the $49.95 that was agreed they would charge. If the consumer gets lucky, the store might have a box in stock when they get their coupon. If not they can only wait and hope the boxes come in before their coupons expire. Then the actual use of the boxes. The signal is horrid, you also need a digital antenna to go with the box which they don''t tell you. Most people in rural areas end up losing channels with the digital signals. This has been a disaster since the start. The fact that the information provided was incorrect, it was stated that appr. 90% of TV viewers were DTV ready, when in fact only appr. 50% were. Why not just leave analog alone until they get all the bugs worked out.

[debinok1]

Did I mention the automated system that takes your information(not everyone has computers) if it doesn''t understand you response or your information is different than what the system is designed to take (ie. no PO Boxes)you must then sit on hold until someone is available to take your information in person, the average wait is 4 to 5 hours.

[debinok1]

There are still people in this country in the deep south, in appalachia, and other parts of the country who are just that poor.

We should be judged by how we treat the least of our citizens in this, the richest nation in the world.

Posted by concorde5
*******************
There are way to many people in this country who are still that poor. They are ignored. It is sad when this country cares less about the poor than they do about the ones with money.

[happyass3]

Easy for her to say, not everyone can afford to buy their own converter box, new tv or cable and satellite services.


"If they do not get their coupon in time, we recommend that they either buy a converter box without a coupon, buy another television, or connect to cable, satellite or another pay television service," says Meredith Atwell Baker, with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

[debinok1]

I also grew up for awhile poor and understand what it is like. I was a lucky one, my parents rather than letting me help them out by getting a job after high school made me apply for grants and go to college. I remember going to bed hungry when money was really tight and when money wasn''t as tight having beans for dinner almost every night. I did not eat at a restaurant until I was in my late teens. This country has not improved where the poor are concerned.

They never should have tried to fix what was not broken. These coupons have been a nightmare to the consumers. They are issued with an expiration of 90 days but the arrival time to the consumer is 4 to 8 weeks. By the time the consumer actually gets the coupon it has 30 to 45 days before it expires. Then comes the stores that carry the boxes. They don''''t have the boxes in stock or have them priced above the $49.95 that was agreed they would charge. If the consumer gets lucky, the store might have a box in stock when they get their coupon. If not they can only wait and hope the boxes come in before their coupons expire. Then the actual use of the boxes. The signal is horrid, you also need a digital antenna to go with the box which they don''''t tell you. Most people in rural areas end up losing channels with the digital signals. This has been a disaster since the start. The fact that the information provided was incorrect, it was stated that appr. 90% of TV viewers were DTV ready, when in fact only appr. 50% were. Why not just leave analog alone until they get all the bugs worked out.


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Posted by DebinOK1 at 04:50 PM : Jan 08, 2009

Agreed

[Michael Arnold]

Local television stations have never-EVER paid a penny to use our airwaves. THEY are the ones who should be paying for this ***, anyway. Maybe the 6-7% of people who haven''t bothered with "converting" just don''t give a rats a**. I know I don''t. (BTW-I personally think the number is much higher that the 6 or 7%.)

[pjh822]

I also grew up for awhile poor and understand what it is like. I was a lucky one, my parents rather than letting me help them out by getting a job after high school made me apply for grants and go to college. I remember going to bed hungry when money was really tight and when money wasn''''t as tight having beans for dinner almost every night. I did not eat at a restaurant until I was in my late teens. This country has not improved where the poor are concerned.


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Posted by DebinOK1 at 05:07 PM : Jan 08, 2009
+ report abuse

I''m sure I''m not telling you anything you don''t already know here, DebinOK1, but if the government had a political stake in getting the poor out of poverty, you can rest assured they''d be living like royalty.

[debinok1]

Easy for her to say, not everyone can afford to buy their own converter box, new tv or cable and satellite services.


"If they do not get their coupon in time, we recommend that they either buy a converter box without a coupon, buy another television, or connect to cable, satellite or another pay television service," says Meredith Atwell Baker, with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Posted by happyass3
**********************
It is very easy for a lot of people to say just go buy one. These are the same people who have no idea what being "poor" really is. To them being poor or broke means they have less in the bank than they think they should. True poverty is so much more and still so bad in this country.

[glenncinca-2009]

Well now we know what O was talking about in his campaign when he kept promising "change".

[debinok1]

I''''m sure I''''m not telling you anything you don''''t already know here, DebinOK1, but if the government had a political stake in getting the poor out of poverty, you can rest assured they''''d be living like royalty.

Posted by pjh822
*****************
Nope, nothing I didn''t already know. I have family that refuses to take my help because I have went to college and am now considered "high falutin", I know very well how much they are ignored and pushed to the back burner.

[zhynaryll]

I agree with Obama on this one - if it ain''t broke, don''t fix it. Sometimes ''change'' can cause more problems than it''s worth. I also agree with an earlier poster that there are many more folks out there who don''t have ''digital ready'' TVs, and the boxes aren''t a cure-all anyhow. Typical government meddling! For what? To sell more ''wavespace'' or to push some other off-the-wall agenda? Who knows?? I doubt very seriously that my representative has a clue!! Stop this and re-think it from a consumer''s point of view, not the ''guv''ment''s''!! JHG

[element51]

There are a couple of you on here who blame Obama for this mess. You''ll grab at anything if you think it will make Obama look bad. He didn''t have a *** thing to do with this. The fact is that he is smart enough to see that it isn''t working and is asking for more time to work the kinks out. If he had been for leaving it the way it is you''d be ranting the he was wrong. Give it a rest!

[whitecat151]

Seems to me that this issue has been advertised all over the place, has had news stories about it, notices in the newspapers and on and on... for at least a year.

I do understand that there are people who have been watching the same television for the last fifteen or twenty years, and cannot afford a new one, or get cable, or buy a converter.

However, I''d be willing to bet that a large majority of the folks who will end up being "inconvenienced" are the ones who don''t leave town during a mandatory evacuation, go fishing on a lake during a thunderstorm, or are just plain too lazy to solve their own problems... and now expect the government to help them out.

[treknutz]

The percentage of those who do not have cable or satellite service is by scale so small the local TV stations should furnish them for free to the poor who cannot afford them. With all the revenue dollars from Wal-Mart advertisement alone they can more than afford it!

This is a no brainer folks.

[shanev137]

I really don''t get it. This transition to digital was announced YEARS and YEARS ago. Anyone who watches a TV has known about it.

So how many more years will it take for all the poor rabbit-eared TV watching schmucks to save up enough coin for the stupid little converter box?

[ausus-2009]

Nobody has mentioned the cost to small non-profit community TV stations. In an overseas country which is about two years behind the US in changeover, one community station has already shut down because it can''t afford the cost of changeover and another is advertising extensively (on its own station) against the change.

[leeanna58]

If they do not get their coupon in time, we recommend that they either buy a converter box without a coupon, buy another television, or connect to cable, satellite or another pay television service," says Meredith Atwell Baker, with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Quote from above.

It is difficult to believe that anyone who watches TV didn''t have time to know about the converter boxes. However, there are a lot of elderly on fixed income who would not be in contact with what is going on without their TV set. Personally, I recommend that Meredith Atwell Baker try living on a social security stipend for 3 to 4 years to find out what many elderly deal with on an every day basis. She might take some of her National Telecommunications and Information Administration salary and purchase converter boxes for the residents of at least one senior citizen complex.

[ampsanne]

The TV stations have been warning the people since last year when this ruling would go into effect. Plus you could get coupons for a discount off the converter boxes. We bought two of them at Radio Shack for $23 a piece with the coupons. Although we do have cable, not all the TV''s we have are on a cable system. I''m sure if even the poor would have been saving since last year and had a coupon they could afford it.

[tx_doughboy]

"I really don''''t get it. This transition to digital was announced YEARS and YEARS ago. Anyone who watches a TV has known about it.

So how many more years will it take for all the poor rabbit-eared TV watching schmucks to save up enough coin for the stupid little converter box?"

It had also been known for years that a strong category 4 storm would flood New Orleans, but that didn''t mean anything to the people that stayed.

My point is that people that haven''t taken action to prepare for Digital TV by now are not going to until they have to. For years and years this bit of progress has been delayed because of these kinds of concerns, but at the end of the day this change needs to be made. The frequencies that are being used for analog TV could be used to provide broadband internet access to the same people. It is my understanding that those frequencies have already been sold by the government. Delaying this change does nothing to change the behavior of those that refuse to take action and is completely unfair to rest of the population that has taken care of business.

[tmittelstaed]

Fry''s Electronics has had at least 1 sale on converter boxes for $40 per box - meaning the box was FREE if you got the coupon. Expensive digital TV antennas are a scam - there are plans on the Internet for making a digital TV antenna out of aluminum foil taped to cardboard - and the antenna has better gain than the expensive "powered" antennas. The new digital channels broadcast on the same UHF bands that analog TV''s broadcast on now so any existing UHF antenna you have will work fine.
It is true most stores didn''t start selling the converter boxes until the last quarter of 2008 but they are retailers, what do you expect? You can call the store in advance to see if the converters are in stock.
Some converter boxes sell for more than $49 but these are ones with remote controls and other enhancements.
And within a year from now Goodwill is going to be full of converter boxes and old TV''s so it is not like these are going to be unavailable.

[libra217]

Nope, nothing I didn''t already know. I have family that refuses to take my help because I have went to college and am now considered "high falutin", I know very well how much they are ignored and pushed to the back burner.

Posted by DebinOK1 at 05:19 PM : Jan 08, 2009

How does someone graduate from COLLEGE saying things like "I have went to college" ????

[scottyusa]

Delay it? Why? It has been advertised for over a year now. "Obama officials are also concerned that the government is not doing enough to help consumers prepare for and navigate the transition" Huh? Thisn''t that difficult to understand. 3 choices: get a new digital TV, get cable or satallite or go out and buy a converter box. I think at least 99% of americans get it. The people that procrastinated until the last minute should be out of luck if they are too cheap to go out and get the converter.

[scottyusa]

Nope, nothing I didn''''t already know. I have family that refuses to take my help because I have went to college and am now considered "high falutin", I know very well how much they are ignored and pushed to the back burner.

Posted by DebinOK1 at 05:19 PM : Jan 08, 2009

How does someone graduate from COLLEGE saying things like "I have went to college" ????


LMAO too funny

[janefondu]

I applied for my coupons was approved for 2. I hadnt received them in over 90 days. I asked where they were. The gov says they sent them through regular mail I should have received them and since it was over 90 days they were now no good and saw that they werent used. I asked send me 2 more I since I hadnt received them. They said NO we sent you 2. I said you send them by regular mail. I didnt get them, you see they werent used. They said sorry thats the rules. I think the government is full of *** and not sending these things out. What the heck put a dang coupon in the paper for all of americans for these things. Use it as part of the Porn Industries TARP bailout!!! This DTV coupon program is being run by Mr. Brown the former FEMA director I think. Its a sham!!!

[debinok1]

How does someone graduate from COLLEGE saying things like "I have went to college" ????


LMAO too funny

Posted by scottyusa
*****************
I attended college, my family says "you went to college and are high falutin" sorry if I was not as descriptive as you would like.

[debinok1]

I''''m sure if even the poor would have been saving since last year and had a coupon they could afford it.
Posted by ampsanne
**************
Do you understand the concept of "poor"? Have you ever had to "save" to buy a gallon of milk? Have you or your children ever went to bed hungry because there was no food in the house? There are true poverty cases in this country. Some of these homes still have TVs that have no remote. Some of these homes do not even have a phone. Do you get that?

[u-r-right]

Obama should push for al-a-carte programming so we all can finally pay for only the channels we want to see. I would only have four or five channels.

[debinok1]

Obama should push for al-a-carte programming so we all can finally pay for only the channels we want to see. I would only have four or five channels.

Posted by u-r-right
**********************
They should leave well enough alone. Analog works. Digital is still new and still has problems. This should not be a forced change until it works as well as what we already have.

[Stratmaster7]

What I can''t believe is that anyone who already has digital would give a *** if the dtae for mandated conversion is delayed. Are you ust looking for anythig to complain about? Give them another 6 months. I haven''t heard of anyone needing airwaves for any critical use and not being able to get access.

[roscoe2400-2009]

Why the H*ll is he getting involved in this???? Has he forgotten that there is only one President at a time?? What does he think he''s doing??? Going to try to override the authority of the current adninistration???

How dare he??? Isn''t there something more important for him to do??

What a buffoon!!!

I can see it now--- if it''s a hot topic--- ain''t goin'' near it!

[Stratmaster7]

Posted by roscoe2400 at 07:24 PM

ummm... he was a Senator, and now is President elect. So suddenly he doesn''t have the right to express his position on an issue?

[roscoe2400-2009]

There are a couple of you on here who blame Obama for this mess. You''''ll grab at anything if you think it will make Obama look bad. He didn''''t have a *** thing to do with this. The fact is that he is smart enough to see that it isn''''t working and is asking for more time to work the kinks out. If he had been for leaving it the way it is you''''d be ranting the he was wrong. Give it a rest!


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Posted by Element51 at 05:50 PM : Jan 08, 2009


Mr. Pres. Elect Obama should stay the **** out of it!

There''s only one President at a time! He should simply do exactly what he has done with every other "important" issue that the public has been beggging him to become involved with!

What a friggin'' moron!


When it''s important--- like hundreds of people dying and thousands being wounded and the entire Gaza strip being bombed into oblivion----- Oh no, I can''t say anything---- there''s only one President at a time!

I can see it now---- if t''s a hot potato ---- can''t touch--- here you take it!!

What a buffoon!

[roscoe2400-2009]

Posted by roscoe2400 at 07:24 PM

ummm... he was a Senator, and now is President elect. So suddenly he doesn''''t have the right to express his position on an issue?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Stratmaster2 at 07:26 PM : Jan 08, 2009


Yes you''re right-- he was a Senator---- he resigned his seat.

He has managed to use this excuse to dodge plenty of important issues in recemt past---- TARP, auto bailout, Gaza crisis---- What a hipocrite--- that''s my point---- if it''s something hot or important that needs leadership and guidance and will have long lasting ramifications for the future of our country or the world---- He just stands back and says--- Not my job man!

What a buffoon!