Monday, January 19, 2009

A new week

Something other than more talk about the state budget or tomorrow's inauguration...

As you probably are aware, (How could you not be with all the TV ads), on Feb. 17 television, as we know it, will change. It's going digital....and if you're not prepared, you won't be getting a signal anymore.

Or will you?

There's a push in Congress, supported by the incoming Obama Administration, to delay the conversion of digital TV until June. It seems not enough people are ready for the switch...the federal Commerce Department doesn't have anymore coupons to give out to folks to help offset the cost of buying the converter boxes. in fact, the latest information was that there were more than 100,000 on a waiting list for coupons -- but those coupons won't bcome available until the ones already handed out expire and not used. (There's no plan to print up anymore coupons. We can print money to bailout corporate executives who ran companies into the ground, but we cannot bailout the public who, by the way, own the airwaves?)

No decision's been made on whether it will be delayed.

2 Comments:

Blogger William Kenny said...

Not sure I fully understand the size of the problem.
Those whose signal is delivered via cable (to include the phone company) or satellite are fine.

Those with rabbit ears or a rooftop aerial are the ones about to become isolated as TV is a mass medium delivered to large groups who partake of it as individuals.

I, too, will be curious as to how we continue to extend the warmth and illumination of the Electric Fire.

As for the whole "it's better" campaign of persuasion used for the DTV transition--for whom is it better, actually?

Does anyone recall an answer, or is this a new kind of object of faith that we just accept at face value like other folk tales such as 'they have WMDs' or the assurance that 'the government is here to help.' ? ;-)

6:31 PM  
Blogger mccommas said...

I really don't see the need for the change. Why fix what isn't broken?

This was predictable. There is going to be old people all over the place, especially in remote areas, that will just have to do without a TV now.

--- Like that’s any great loss....

I think we would be a lot better off taking a big break from the boob tube.

5:59 PM  

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