House Republicans Protest DTV Delay

[Tirconnell]

Warn That Industry Groups, Consumers Already Assume Switch Will Be Postponed

1/14/2009

Washington—A group of House Republicans is balking at President-elect Obama's effort to delay the conversion to all-digital broadcasting on Feb. 17, claiming the incoming administration is panicking based on false information about the readiness of the nation.

Obama's transition team wants Congress to enact a delay based partly on problems with the Commerce Department's $1.34 billion program to provide $40 coupons for consumer purchase of digital-to-to-analog converter boxes.

Fifteen House Republicans, led by Rep. Joe Barton (Texas), sent Obama a letter Wednesday calling on him to let the transition happen as planned under a law signed by President Bush in 2006. Barton is the most senior Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

"We believe that panicky talk of a delay is breeding stultifying uncertainty, and that an actual delay would be a monumental error in judgment that would damage the program and the public," the lawmakers said.

The House Republicans said that talk about delaying the transition has started to create problems.

"Industry groups are nervously withdrawing from what had been vigorous consumer education efforts," they said.

Members of National Association Broadcasters and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association put up the equivalent of $1.2 billion in airtime for public service announcements promoting the Feb. 17 date. NCTA began withdrawing ads last fall, anticipating a potential delay.

The coupon program, which has at least $600 million to spend, has run into trouble because a federal budget law won't allow Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration to mail out new coupons until old ones have expired. NTIA had created a waiting that now includes requests for 2 million coupons.

The House Republicans told Obama that they hoped the effort to delay the transition wasn't based "on the false premise that the coupon program has or is about to run out of money. It has not, and we assure you that we are going to do everything necessary to help remaining consumers prepare."

News about delaying the transition might actually cause consumers not to apply for coupons, the House Republicans said.

"There's rising fear that consumers may be refraining from requesting coupons because they have read the program is broke and that the switch is off," the lawmakers said.

Another problem for the House Republicans: Delaying the transition will prevent public safety organizations from using old analog TV spectrum to build a nationwide interoperable wireless broadband network, as recommended by the 9/11 commission.

"A sudden, last-minute delay in the transition means postponing the vast public safety improvements that are and finally within our grasp," they said.

Last week, Obama transition co-chair John Podesta, in defending the need for a delay, said too many poor, elderly and rural Americans were unprepared for the loss of analog TV signals.

Senate Commerce Committee chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) agreed and is working on legislation to carry out the Obama-requested delay.

In their letter, the House Republicans said 93% of U.S. households were ready for the transition, citing Nielsen Co. data.

"No one said this was going to be easy, but we have unquestionably made the right decision to complete the digital television transition on Feb. 17," the House GOP members said.

[Tirconnell]

Rockefeller Working DTV Delay Bill

Democrat Supports Extending Deadline By About 90 Days

Washington—Senate Commerce Committee chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) spent Tuesday trying to assemble a bill designed to delay the Feb. 17 digital TV transition and provide new funds for the Commerce Department's hobbled converter box coupon program.

"All I know is that Senate staffers are working overtime to try and find the right solutions— all options on the table," a Senate source said Tuesday evening.

Rockefeller supports moving the Feb. 17 deadline, perhaps by about 90 days, to give at-risk groups more time to prepare their television sets for all-digital broadcasting.

Last week, Obama transition team co-chair John Podesta called on Congress to consider postponing the DTV transition deadline, claiming too many poor, elderly and rural Americans would be left behind.
Like Rockefeller, Podesta complained about the Commerce Department's management of the $1.34 billion converter box coupon program.

"It has gone broke," said Tom Wheeler, who is participating in an Obama transition working group responsible for the science, technology, space and arts agencies.

Each household was allowed to request two $40 coupons, which could be used to reduce the cost of $60-$80 converter boxes that prolong the useful life of old analog TV sets.

Wheeler indicated that he recommended delaying the transition to Podesta.

"It came to my desk," he said in a C-SPAN interview.

Actually, the coupon program hasn't run out of money, a point emphasized last week by Rep. Joe Barton (Texas), the most senior Republican on the House, who accused the incoming of Obama administration of panicking for no reason.

Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration has at least $600 million to spend. But a federal budget law won't allow NTIA to mail out new coupons until old ones have expired. That caused NTIA to create a waiting list for at least 1.3 million coupons.

The coupon backlog coming just a few weeks before the transition prompted Rockefeller to say that NTIA had "appallingly mismanaged" the program.

In addition to delaying the DTV transition, Rockefeller is considering whether to waive the budget law, called the Antideficiency Act, to allow NTIA to clear out the waiting list immediately.

Also under consideration: addition funds for the Public Broadcasting Service, which might need money to keep analog and digital transmitters active after Feb. 17.

Rockefeller also has before him a request from public safety organizations to require analog TV stations to shut down on Feb. 17 if they are using channels that Congress has already earmarked for police, fire and emergency crews for a national wireless broadband network that has total interoperability—something sorely lacking on 9/11 at the World Trade Center.

[dman999]

What good is it to have a coupon program to get a converter box when you can't get the coupon until after the changeover? That makes zero sense! I know, I am on the said waiting list. LOL If I could, I'd take my name off the lost now.

[txsgent]

Typical politices.. one side is for it, so the other side has to be against it...lol
I don't have my converter box yet... they ran out of money...lol
At least now we know, who must have been one of Obama's biggest donors.... Cable/Satellite/TV Industry.. if he is wanting to help them.. before he even takes office..lol jmo... txsgent

[snitzhel]

come to think of it i havent receive a coupon either....

[Satbum.]

Originally Posted by snitzhel

come to think of it i havent receive a coupon either....

You won't receive it if you don't request it...

I have already received my limit of 2 and I am glad for that.
I surely don't want my TV to go Black, Fuzzy, Blank or whatever it turns into...
LOL

[txsgent]

Yes, you do need to order it, but they have ran out of money... so you won't be getting it for some time... if at all.. I ordered 2.. and I have gotten zip... a friend has been waiting for over 2 months for theirs... also.. no money, no coupons... txsgent

[Tirconnell]

Nothing like Waiting Until the Eleventh Hour Guy's ,

As soon as the Coupons Became available I went on line and ordered mine . When they arrived they already had almost half of the 3 month until expiration period gone . So a Slight Blunder on them mailing them out in a Timely Manner . That is why many were never redeemed as the short time period until Expiration .

At that time the Digital Converter boxes in stock at the retailers weren't the best quality . Many or the Manufactures hadn't released the Better Quality with Better Specifications units . I Highly Suggest you do your Homework researching on the Quality Differences between the units available that Qualify for the Coupon Program .

The best being Zenith-901 model and then the Digital Stream both available at Radio Schlock for $59.99 so you would pay the $19.99 difference plus Tax with the Coupon . Both Units will do a Digital as well as an Analog Pass Trough signal . The Wally-World Models as well as the Drugstore models are low end , low quality so I Suggest you don't waste your Hard Earned Dollar$ on the Lesser Quality Models ,,,

[Satbum.]

This is what I paid 1 cent for after using the coupon.

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=JC-DTA1080D

Both of mine are still in the box where they will probably stay until the sat receivers go on extended leave.

[ufcwatcher]

I got my two coupons and I used them already. I also have them setup and running and some of you have seen my post on how I set it up.