Households to receive digital TV coupons
David Johnson March 13th, 2007
The clock continues to tick for analog broadcast, with rabbit ears set to become a historic curio at midnight on Feb. 17, 2009. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which is responsible for distributing the required digital converter boxes to keep older televisions functioning in the new digital broadcast world, laid out their plan to help houses make the switch. Every household, regardless of whether it needs a box, will be eligible to receive two coupons worth $40 each that can be used to buy two converter boxes. The coupons must be requested between Jan. 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009. As of 2005, the FCC said there were 15.4 million television households in the United States that received over-the-air signals only, excluding satellite users who use antenna to get local stations. While groups like the NAB and CES praised the rules, no one knows what the converter boxes will look like or how much they will eventually cost.
5 Comments Add your own
1. ron | March 19th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Rabbit Ears will still work. You will just need a digital converter or digital tv to view over the air TV.
2. Lucio DiGiovanni | March 20th, 2007 at 5:43 am
Digital converter box will cost about $60 as seen on CSPAN2 on March 20, 2007 showing a meeting with the Digital TV Coupon program
3. Cory | January 4th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
I think the FCC is severely under-estimating the number of people with over-the-air programming only. All of my relatives still use rabbit ears (or a roof-top antenna). I’m the only person in my family with cable. Also, you know the first models will have horrible problems, like any early platforms have (especially cheap models that will be bought with the coupons). My 84-year-old grandma won’t be able to ship her broken box back, and she can barely afford her medicines (and can’t afford cable) so I guess she has to do without TV? Do you also know that the coupon is only valid for 90 days after it is issued? They are going to delay the mailing of them until after the boxes arrive in stores, but that still only gives people the option of the VERY FIRST models to hit shelves. Wait to get your coupons until more models crop up is my advice.
I think this is an obvious money grab by the FCC to reap the rewards of selling frequency bands to cell phone companies at the expense of the elderly and poor. Shameful, but SOP for the FCC.
4. Don | January 4th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
If you have more info on the DTV converters, let me know where to look.
I am DonCarow and my provider is aol
5. noeleen | March 4th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
where do you get the coupon
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