Campaign to delay DTV transition gets a boost

It looks as though the digital TV transition will likely be delayed now that a group of Senate Republicans united to a plan that would push it back to June 12.

Senate Republicans blocked Democratic efforts to drive back the deadline just last w eek. But it looks like they've had a commute of heart after working with Democrats to hammer out amendments to the bill. The DTV Delay Act, as it is being called, is expected to be voted on early next week.

The switch from parallel TV broadcast to digital broadcast was mandated by Congress in 2005 with the deadline date of Feb 17, 2009. On this date all TV broadcasters are supposed to stop broadcasting their signals in analog and broadcast only in d igital. The switch will free up semiprecious wireless spectrum, which the Federal Communications Commission has already allocated to public safety or auctioned off for new services, mainly broadband wireless. < /p>

But over the past few months, authorities officials have warned that too many Americans are not prepared for the switch. In fact more than 6.5 million U.S. households are still not prepared for the trans ition, according to the Nielsen Co. Many of these individuals are minorities.

The governance and broadcasters have been running public service announcements to get the word out about the switch. The gover nment also allotted $1.3 billion for a voucher program to provide consumers with $40 coupons to defray the cost of convertor boxes that will allow older TVs to accept the digital signal.

But the government h as run out of money for the vouchers, and as of Wednesday the National Telecommunications and Information Establishment, which administers the voucher program, reported that there was a waiting list of 2.6 million for new coupons. What's more, more consumers say they have had trouble redeeming coupons or their coupons have expired already.

Democrats, including Presidentship Obama, have advisable delaying the transition to give grouping more time t o get ready. But Republicans in both the House and Senate have raised concerns that delaying the switchover would confuse consumers and add costs for television stations that would hump to act broadcasting both analog and digital signals. A delay would also mean burdening wireless companies, which have already spent billions of dollars to buy the spectrum from the federal government. And it would delay efforts by public device agencies that have been inactivity for the spectrum to be freed up.

A fter some talks and some amendments to the bill, it looks as though Senate Republicans are now on enter with delaying the date for the transition.

Under the new handle, the transition associate will be delayed until June 12. But TV stations facult y be allowed to switch to digital signals before that date. And if a send chooses to switch to digital before the official transition date, the vacant spectrum will be made available to public safety officials.

The bill will also allow consumers with terminated coupons for converter boxes to use for new coupons. The coupons had an expiration date of 90 days. The account also extends the deadline to apply for a voucher from Marchland 31 to July 31.

The Senate is expected to vote on the DTV Delay Act next week. But a bill will still have to get through the House before a delay becomes official. The House Energy and Commerce Committee delayed consideration of a DTV delay post earlier this week after the Senate had blocked its initial bill .

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