Schumer Pushes Bill to Delay DTV Transition Until June - Would Allow Time to Fix Coupon Program, Avoid Unnecessary Public Confusion
Press Release
Schumer Pushes Bill to Delay DTV Transition Until June - Would Allow Time to Fix Coupon Program, Avoid Unnecessary Public Confusion
As Deadline Approaches, Thousands of New York Households Remain Completely Unready for the Transition; Thousands of Coupons Have Expired, Leaving Many New Yorkers Without Options
To Stave Off Pending Problems, Schumer Joins Senator Rockefeller in Pushing Legislation in Senate to Delay Analog-to-Digital Television Switch; Lawmakers Hope to Pass Bill as Quickly as Possible
New Legislation Would Extend Deadline to June 12, 2009 - Allow Time to Fix Botched Coupon Program, Help Ensure Everyone is Properly Prepared for Switch
As thousands of New York State households, including thousands of elderly residents, remain in danger of being left without access to broadcast television as the analog-to-digital television switch deadline nears, Senator Schumer today pushed a bill led by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) in the Senate that would delay the transition until June of 2009. The delay would allow time to fix the conversion coupon program, provides consumers who have been bogged down by the confusing bureaucracy time to prepare, protects public safety, and gives the new Obama Administration time to make sure that no Americans are left in the dark.
Currently, analog-only televisions are set to go dark on February 17, 2009 when all over-the-air broadcast signals will be transmitted by a digital signal only, which analog televisions are not equipped to receive.
"For months we have been sounding the alarm about this poorly administrated transition from analog to digital. Every step of the way, we called for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Federal Communications Communication to make it as easy as possible to obtain the necessary converter boxes. It is an outrage that there are analog-only consumers who were unable to obtain coupons," Schumer said. "This bill will make sure that New York State consumers and the elderly citizens who are hit the hardest by the transition are protected and not left in the dark when the transition occurs. The new administration should have the opportunity to put the transition on track in a way that keeps consumers safe and allows them access to much-needed converter box coupons."
As required by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, on February 17, 2009, all television broadcasts will be transmitted by a digital signal only. In order to receive a digital signal either over-the-air (through an antenna) or via a cable or satellite provider, consumers must be equipped with a digital television set or a television set with a digital tuner. Over-the-air broadcasts are currently provided by television stations in both analog and digital formats.
On February 17, 2009, households with analog-only televisions will no longer be able to receive broadcasts unless they buy a digital television; subscribe to cable, satellite, or telephone company television services (which provide conversion of the digital signal to subscribers with analog televisions); or buy a digital-to-analog converter box, which translates the digital broadcast signal into an analog signal that can be understood by an analog-only television.
Individuals with analog-only televisions were able to apply for up to two $40 coupons distributed by NTIA to subsidize the cost of purchasing a digital converter box. However, the current coupons expired within 90 days, and after expiration residents are unable to apply for new ones, leaving many without this much-needed fiscal support to secure the converter boxes. The coupon program has since exhausted its funding, and consumers who are now seeking coupons are forced to be waitlisted until the program can be bolstered by additional funds. Lawmakers hope that delaying the transition date will give them time to include emergency funding for the coupon program in the upcoming economic recovery package.
According to The Nielsen Company, as of November 4, 2008, almost 9 million households7.7% of all homeswere not ready for the upcoming transition to all-digital broadcasting and would be unable to receive any television programming at all if the transition occurred today. As of October 2008, 15 million households10.7%are only partially prepared, meaning one or more television set in their home is not currently able to receive a digital signal. In New York State, 3.7 percent of all households were unprepared for the conversion as of September 1, 2008.
To ensure a smooth transition to digital television, Schumer is pushing a bill to delay the DTV transition. The bill would give the new Obama Administration adequate time to fix the DTV coupon program, and give the FCC time to adequately staff their call center which is currently able to receive 350,000 calls daily, despite an expected 1.5 million calls that will occur in the days following the transition.
Senator Schumer has long called for changes to the DTV transition process, including calling for an emergency extension of the converter box program in November as thousands of Upstate New Yorkers have yet to redeem the coupons necessary to prepare for the transition.
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