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Senate Approves Delay In Digital TV Transition

Millions of consumers unable to meet Feb. 17 deadline

By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.Com

January 27, 2009

Leaders in the House say they have the votes to approve the delay and President Obama says he will sign it.

The switch to digital broadcasting is currently scheduled to take place February 17, but the entire process has been mired in confusion and controversy. After the switch, consumers receiving TV over the airwaves – not by cable or satellite – will not be able to receive a signal unless they are using a digital TV.

Congress appropriated money to compensate consumers for the purchase of up to two digital converter boxes for their analog TVs, but many consumers were confused about whether they needed one or not. And it now turns out that even with a converter box, some of these consumers still won't be able to receive digital signals. Lawmakers say the delay will give engineers time to work out a solution.

Problems in the program began popping up early last year. The process has spawned a constant stream of consumer complaints.

Some consumers might wonder why the switch has to take place at all. The answer is money. The U.S. Government has already sold the old broadcast frequencies, which AT&T, Verizon Wireless and other carriers will use to expand their mobile networks. Public safety agencies will also use some of the vacated spectrum space.

At the time, government officials concluded moving broadcasters to digital frequencies would be easy and painless. After all, weren't most consumers getting their TV from either cable or satellite?

Many, it turns out, aren't. Millions of consumers still get their TV directly over the air, on VHF and UHF channels, along the 700-MHz spectrum. Though some may prefer this form of reception, it is not hard to conclude that many others are of limited income, who cannot afford cable or satellite delivery.

The government's program to help consumers make the switch to digital TV recently ran out of money. That stopped the flow of vouchers consumers could use to purchase digital converter boxes.

Angry consumers

The most often-heard complaint among the hundreds received by ConsumerAffairs.com is that the government is sending out converter box coupons that either have already expired or are so close to their expiration date that the consumer can't use them — and can't get a replacement.

"We received our DTV Converter Box Coupons after the expiration date. When we called to get new one with correct expire dates, they sent us a letter stating that we received cards and there would be no others issued," said Charles of St. Louis. "This program has been mismanaged the way our economy has been mismanaged."

"It really is an eye opener as to where the government is heading. It should have been as simple as using a coded debit card specifically for the converter boxes. Simple program could have fixed this, but they inconvenience the consumers they want to support this major change in viewing. Pretty lame actually," Charles concluded.

R.L. of Lake Dallas, Texas, had a similar experience.

"I applied for a coupon for a converter box on 9-19-08. It NEVER arrived. When I checked the website (dtv2009.gov) for a status on the coupon, it said it was expired. I applied online for another coupon on 1-5-09 (we're supposedly entitled to two), it said that because program funding is not currently available, you will not receive coupons unless more funding becomes available," R.L. said.

"I thought the government was supposed to be helping us with this DTV transition.....what a SCAM!"

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