DTV Transition Scares Missouri Senator
McCaskill: Feb. 17, 2009, Is ‘Tomorrow, If We Are Talking About Government Time’
By Ted Hearn -- Multichannel News, 7/26/2007 3:13:00 PM
Too few consumers know that their analog-TV sets could go dark in February 2009 as a result of the government mandated conversion to digital broadcasting, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said Thursday.
“Frankly, this scares me, politically,” she said at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing that included the Commerce Department official overseeing a key program. “I mean, there is no anger that comes close to the anger of an American who can’t get television.”
The National Association of Broadcasters estimated that American households -- whether broadcast-only, cable or satellite -- have about 69 million analog-TV sets that could go dark on the Feb. 17, 2009, transition date.
A $1.5 billion federal program would allow each household to obtain up to two $40 coupons to defray the retail cost of digital-to-analog converter boxes. After $160 million in administrative costs, the program would fund 33.5 million boxes, well below potential demand.
However, the program, run by Assistant Commerce Department Secretary John Kneuer, would fund at least one converter box for each of the 20 million households that are broadcast-only -- a fact that some on Capitol Hill said should put to rest fears of a massive consumer rebellion.
McCaskill, saying 20% of Missouri households are broadcast-only, added that she was concerned that consumers didn’t have enough time to prepare. She referred to Feb. 17, 2009, as “tomorrow, if we are talking about government time.”
“I know who they are going to blame. They are not going to blame you, Mr. Kneuer. They are going to call me and they are going to be mad,” she said.
