Matti Robinson
9 Jan 2009 9:02
In six weeks, February 17th, the US is scheduled to switch to digital TV transmissions. However, it might as well not happen if the suggestions of President-elect Barack Obama and his transition team are followed. The co-chairman of Obama's transition team John Podesta addressed the switch program and requested a delay. According to The New York Times blog TV Decoder Podesta said that funding of the transition has been "inadequate".
In addition to consumers, major television companies are ready to back up or consider the delay. NBC and ABC support the delay as well as PBS which is afraid that due to insufficient coupons some of the children would no longer have access to free educational shows such as their Sesame Street. CBS has informed that they are willing to consider the suggestion.
In December Nielsen Media Research released a report which estimated that 7.8 million US over-the-air households haven't upgraded for digital television. The converter coupon program has run out of coupons and the waiting list is getting longer. Podesta estimates that the waiting list, with currently over one million requests, could grow by hundreds of thousands every day. According to NY Times, Obama's economic recovery package would include additional funds to digital TV transition.