Obama & Consumers Union call for DTV delay

A consumer advocacy group -- and now President-elect Barack Obama -- are calling to delay the transition to digital television. This comes after the government ran out of money for coupons for converter boxes for families who rely on antenna's for their TV signal.

By: | News Channel 7
Published: January 08, 2009

A consumer advocacy group and now President-elect Barack Obama, are calling to delay the transition to digital television. This comes after the government ran out of money for coupons for converter boxes for families who rely on antenna's for their TV signal.

Consumers Union says too many people will be left in the dark.

Spartanburg resident Decola Jefferson is ready for the DTV transition, but she's worried about people in her life that are not. Said Jefferson, "A lot of people who don't have cable and don't have the coupon."

Jefferson says they can't afford the $50 to $80 dollars to buy a converter box without the government's $40 dollar coupon. Said Jefferson, "I don't know what they're going to do when it's finally converts over."

There's now a waiting list for coupons. After running out of money, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, only gives them out when other people's coupons expire unused.

Said Spartanburg resident Lee Davis, "With the economy the way it is, there are going to be some people that are not going to be able to afford them."

That has Consumers Union urging Congress to delay flipping the switch until more coupons are funded. Said Joel Kelsey with Consumers Union, "We hope Congress acts responsibly. That they fix this problem that has been created by the Commerce Department, that they refund the program, they allow consumers to reapply if they have expired coupons, and they provide real local assistance to consumers who need it."

Said Jefferson, "I don't think the government planned well enough for this. I don't think they thought there were that many people that were going to need it."

A spokesperson for Representative Ed Markey, who chairs the committee overseeing the transition, says moving the date back may be an wise choice. Meantime, the FCC says if you need a coupon, apply now. Said Kevin Martin, FCC Chairman, "Congress is talking about taking action very quickly. So I would encourage people to continue to apply for the coupon program at this point."

That way you're ready... whenever the DTV transition takes place.