House Votes to Delay Switch to Digital TV [New York Times]
It's official, the deadline for television stations to switch from analog to digital broadcasts will be pushed back from February 17th to June 12th. Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the DTV delay legislation that had already been passed by the Senate. The bill awaits President Obama's signature, and he has indicated he will sign the delay bill.
Under the delay bill, television stations are free to make the digital transition whenever they wish. Many are opting to make the conversion on the original February date or soon thereafter, citing the electricity savings they will incur the sooner they switch to digital broadcasts. In fact, well over half of all television stations have reported that they have the ability to switch to digital before June 12th.
If you're still on a waiting list for one of the federal government's digital converter box coupons, you still have a while to wait. The coupon program is still halted by a lack of funds, and the DTV delay bill doesn't change that fact. However, the economic stimulus bill that's currently being debated contains additional funds for the coupon program. If and when the stimulus bill passes, millions of people on the waiting list will begin receiving their $40 converter box coupons. We just don't know if they will receive them on time, especially in markets where broadcasters intend to transition early. If you have TV's that receive their signals from an antenna, this might be a good time to give us a call and rely upon us make the transition a non-event in your home. If you wait until the last minute, you might have to wait for an installation appointment.
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