Obama Asks Congress To Postpone DTV Cutoff Date

01/09/08

President-Elect Obama has joined with Consumers Union in asking Congress to delay the end date of the all-digital television broadcast signal transition for an indeterminate time.

Obama is asking for an extension of the February 17th cutoff date to allow the federal government time to come up with the money needed to help the economically-disadvantaged keep receiving broadcast television signals on older analog TV sets.

The DTV transition does not affect people who are subscribed to either cable or satellite television services.

Consumers Union Urges DTV Transition Delay

01/08/09

Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, is urging lawmakers to extend the nation's transition to digital-only television transmissions beyond the announced February 17, 2009 cut-off date.

"Millions of consumers could now be forced to spend their own money to navigate this federally mandated transition. This economic climate is not the right time to ask consumers to dig deeper into their own pockets to pay for the miscalculation by the federal government," said CU in its letter to President Bush, President-Elect Obama and various Congressional committeemen.

The federal program funding $40 TV converter box coupons has run out of money.

U.S. Gov't Out of Money for DTV Coupons

01/07/09

The U.S. Government has officially run out of money to fund any more requests for the $40 coupon good towards the purchase of a DTV converter box. The following notice is currently posted at the dtv2009.gov website...

"IMPORTANT: The TV Converter Box Coupon Program has reached its funding ceiling. However, coupon requests from eligible households will be filled as funds from expiring coupons become available. If you would like to apply for a coupon today and are eligible, you will be placed on a waiting list and will receive coupons on a first-come-first-served basis as funds from expiring coupons become available. Coupons will expire within 90 days of the date they are mailed."

If you are one of the many people who really need this help from the government to continue to have access to television programming, please fill out the application at the site. But if you've already got cable or satellite coming into your home for at least one TV set, please let someone else have a shot at what few coupons will be available from this point on. The poor, the elderly and many rural residents really need this help the most in these difficult economic times.

Thanks!