Digital TV Delay Bill Dies in US House
The February 17 nationwide switch to digital television is still on-at least for now-after the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday failed to pass legislation that would have delayed the transition date to June 12.
The bill, backed by President Obama and passed Monday by the U.S. Senate, failed to get the two-thirds House majority required to pass under special rules established for the vote. The legislation is an attempt to buy more time for the 13.5 million U.S. households that use antennas to receive analog broadcast signals. An estimated 6.5 million of those homes haven't received a converter box to get digital broadcasts, and their TVs will go dark after the February switchover, consumer groups fear.
Federal Communications Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein has also asked for a deadline extension, stating that the U.S. is ill-prepared for the switch. The government has run out of $40 vouchers that would defray the cost of the converter boxes. Each household can order up to two vouchers each, but anyone who tries to apply now at the government's dtv2009.gov Web site or via a phone number (888/DTV-2009) will be placed on a waiting list.
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