TV is a top priority?

"The Senate appeared close to agreement late Thursday on a bill to delay next month's planned transition from analog to digital television broadcasting to June 12 — setting the stage for a vote early next week.

Senate Republicans last week blocked Democratic efforts to push back the Feb. 17 deadline for the analog shutoff. The Democrats cited mounting concerns that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air broadcast signals won't be ready."

With all of the important issues we are facing at the moment, especially the economy, and Congress is wasting time fretting over whether or not people will be able to watch TV?!

"The Nielsen Co. said Thursday that more than 6.5 million U.S. households are still not prepared for the upcoming transition and could see their TV sets go dark next month."

Oh no! Whatever shall we do?

"The shameful truth is that we are not poised to do this transition right," said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller, D-W.V., author of the bill to delay the switchover. "We are only weeks away from doing it dreadfully wrong — and leaving consumers with the consequences."

Except many consumers set themselves up for the consequences...

"In 2005, Congress required broadcasters to switch from analog to digital signals, which are more efficient, to free up valuable chunks of wireless spectrum to be used for commercial wireless services and interoperable emergency-response networks...

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the arm of the Commerce Department administering the program, is now sending out new coupons only as older, unredeemed ones reach a 90-day expiration date and free up more money for the program. The NTIA had nearly 2.6 million coupon requests on a waiting list as of Wednesday."

So it looks as if the main reason for the unpreparedness is none other than procrastination! Four years and millions of unused coupons later, and the consequences are being "forced" on consumers!

"Republicans in both the House and Senate have raised concerns that a delay would confuse consumers, create added costs for television stations that would have to continue broadcasting both analog and digital signals and burden wireless companies and public safety agencies waiting for spectrum that will be freed up by the switch."

Sounds like valid concerns to me! If the switch progresses as originally planned, not only do emergency-response networks get their much needed spectrum (a priority much higher than whether those without cable or satellite get to watch their much needed reality TV series), but extra costs for television stations are avoided, freeing up money to create more jobs and/or give current employees pay raises thus helping boost the economy (a much more important issue).

You know what else would help boost the economy? If all of the money spent by consumers for hardware required for the switch (a one-time purchase) was spent on, say, newspaper subscriptions... This would keep people in touch with current events, boost the newspapers so that they would need less (or hopefully none) of the bailout money that's being requested, as well encouraging literacy, yet another issue in this country much more important than television.


source: http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090123/ap_on_hi_te/tec_digital_transition_delay