Published: January 02, 2009 04:38 pm      

DTV transition beset with problems

On February 17, 2009, all full-power analog television broadcasts in the United States will cease and existing TV stations will begin broadcasting exclusively in a digital format. The switch to digital television (DTV) will free up frequencies for emergency uses and allow broadcasters to provide more programming for their viewers through “multicasting.”

As a practical matter, people will need to subscribe to a cable or satellite television service, use a digital-ready TV set, or hook up a digital converter box to an analog TV set, in order to continue watching broadcast television.

Unfortunately, the number of people who stand to lose their access to TV programming in the coming DTV transition is considerable. Roughly 10 to 15 percent of all TV households (about 30 to 40 million people) still rely on over-the-air television, most of whom are senior citizens, poor, or non-English speakers.

The federal government has launched a coupon program that allows each household to claim up to two $40 coupons to help offset the cost of digital converter boxes for those that can't afford them otherwise. But the coupons expire 90 days after issuance, and half of the more than 25 million people who have requested them have seen their coupons expire.

What's more, surveys show more than three-quarters of those who are interested in getting converter boxes are not aware of the coupon program.

The saddest thing about this entire situation is that America's transition to DTV could've been handled much differently. Americans who watch TV and the regulators who shape our communications policies would be wise to take notice.

Steve Macek and Mitchell Szczepanczyk

American Forum, Washington, DC