• Why the DTV switchover might be pushed back to June

    Friday, January 16th, 2009

    Matt is currently working as a writer for TechCrunch. Matt Burns is a family man first and attempts to be a writer second. Born and raised in the heart of the automotive world, only cars eclipse his love of gadgets. He previously wrote for Engadget and EngadgetHD before moving into the party house that is TechCrunch. He learned the retail... → Learn More

    bailoutUs American nerds have known for literally years that analog TV signals were eventually going to be shut off. Congress set the date of February 17, 2009 a few years ago and in true government fashion, that date *might* be pushed to June 12 with the digital coupon program to blame. You see, funding ran out for the $40 coupons weeks ago but procrastinating consumers are just now applying causing a backlog of 2.1 million applicants – or so they say. Now Congress wants to push back the date and bailout all these American households that will loss their local news and  prime time TV. 

    I will bet you anything that if the FCC phones the people that applied and simply asks, “Do you have cable or satellite?” the list could be cut down dramatically. Even though there have been commercial after paper mailer after radio spot about antenna-only folk need the digital converter, a lot of consumers still don’t get it. Ironically my neighbor, who steals my cable, asked what they were suppose to do. I laughed inside and said “Nothing at all.” 

    The big wigs that make these decisions were suppose to meet today. No word just yet about the results but I would bet an Obama quarter that the date gets pushed back to at least June.

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