I was sort of taken aback when I heard Obama request an extension to the DTV switch-over. First, every other damn commercial is telling us there’s going to be a switch-over, and second – so what? If some folks don’t get switched over in time then they’ll have to suffer without American Idol until they get their converter box.
I suppose if he’d argued that it should happen after winter so people could get weather reports, I might have rolled my eyes and accepted it. But, to wait until June because some folks can’t find the time? They probably won’t find the time by June either. I know because I am one of those people. I still don’t have my converter box. It’s really, really far down on my priority list. And if you gave me til June I probably wouldn’t get it until July.
House Republicans voted against the delay.
“WASHINGTON – Bucking the Obama administration, House Republicans on Wednesday defeated a bill to delay the upcoming transition from analog to digital television broadcasting to June 12 — leaving an estimated 6.5 million U.S. households unprepared for the switchover.”
UPDATE – Erm, it turns out they didn’t have what it takes. The House sent the bill to Obama, and he’s expected to sign it.
This deadline has been around for YEARS. It feels like the Y2K bug when it comes to delaying things if possible because it’d create disaster and alienate people if we don’t…
…because they weren’t on the ball when they were told to get a converter box over the last few months/years.
Now, the reason the Dems are supposedly asking is because of a shortage of digital converters… Or at least I remember reading some such. But really, this feels like foot dragging that’s unnecessary.
It really has been years. I know the current deadline was chosen in 2006, but I seem to remember several delays on the part of the broadcast companies in the years before that.
Plus, the Republican arguments actually weren’t so outrageous. Much of that freed bandwidth will go to first responders. There’s no reason to delay giving them more tools to work with.
It’s funny how there are government programs to pay for these conversion boxes and yet there are millions of people without insurance still.
I think the money for this was apportioned in 2006, but you’re absolutely right. It says a lot about how insane our legislative priorities are when television trumps health care and insurance for kids.
I can’t believe there are 6.5Million people who still have analog. I don’t even think I know anyone without cable… it’s just amazing to me.
I think what amazes me most about this is that it’s only the really, really old TVs that don’t accept digital. We have an RCA set in our bedroom from the late 90s that will work. Who still has old black and white rabbit ear TVs!?