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Obama Set to Sign Digital Delay

Feb 5, 2009  •  Post A Comment

A bill that would delay the transition to digital broadcasting until June was sent to President Obama, who is expected to sign it later this week, TelevisionWeek says. The House approved the one-time delay by a 264-158 vote.
—Jon Lafayette

7 Comments

  1. 5 MILLION people who have had a decade to get ready for the switch and they didn’t. Then tough luck. Why should everyone else have to wait….it makes absolutely NO sense. Broadcasters are going to lose millions, indie producers that have been creating content for the digital tier are going to go out of business.
    It’s obvious somebody in Washington is profiting off this delay…….there can be no other reason. If people were too lazy to get their converters then they can just listen to the radio for any emergency broadcast and for their entertainment. I though it was time for a change…..seems to me the players in Washington have changed but the game has remained the same.

  2. As should be obvious to anybody with brain one, those unwashed masses who aren’t ready now won’t be ready in June, either. Or, for that matter ten years from now. Fortunately most of the stations will switch anyway if given the leeway to do so, so all is not lost, I hope.

  3. Amazing! I thought this guy was the economy/energy/environmental president. The cost to broadcasters who will be forced to broadcast both in analog and in digital, with so many stations on the brink of bankruptcy, is completely irresponsible. …and the wasted electricity (read “fossil fuel consumption/global warming contribution/exportation of U.S. dollars to Third World Countries) is just unconscionable.

  4. Such negative vibes around here. Marie-Theresa would be so proud of the elite “Let them eat cake” attitudes a lot of you have displayed.
    First of all, if people want to watch digital television and have the means to do so, they don’t have to wait. It’s on the air right now, beaming in their crystal-clear picture to anyone who wants to watch it. I’ve been watching for about a year now since I purchased my converter. You know, when the coupons were delivered. They’ve only been in the brick-and-mortar retail market for only a year, not a decade.
    Television prices are finally falling, but the basic sets, especially those smaller than 32″ have actually risen in price compared to their analog comparisons. $150 for an ATSC-compatible 13″ set is a bit much.
    I doubt broadcasters are going to lose “millions.” Affiliate groups that have monopolized local television, maybe (perhaps that’s what they get for owning so many affiliates in the first place), but broadcasters (NBC Universal, Disney, CBS Corporation, News Corp, and Time Warner) are going to be fine. They’re multibillion-dollar corporations and they’re going to be okay for the next four months. In fact, THEY’RE the ones who were persistent in creating the delay in addition to the lack of funds for the coupon program, which has been newly-funded and will issue coupons to those whose coupons had expired (people had more important things to worry about, including bills, layoffs, and expensive gasoline).
    Independent producers creating programming for the sub-channel market are still producing programs. They’re not going anywhere. It would be nice if broadcast networks, especially those that own their content, would actually utilize the digital spectrum and develop new outlets for the affiliates who are still scrambling what to put in their extra space, if anything at all.
    I still find it saddening and baffling so many has such a “they deserve to be shut out” mentality about the whole situation.

  5. I just want to thank our new “STAR” for slashing jobs tommorrow. He with the news of his winning on the delay, power cost will not allow advertising to ensue. Some will be fired, allowing for more automation and computers to take over.
    I just might be one of those who gets the axe by Friday at 5 PM.
    I blame our new purple lipped star for that. I’m so glad change affected me. I actually did better when Bush was in office. NOw that this is on my doorstep, I’m scared to open the door.
    The delay is costly to stations and everyone who is affected by TV station and company budgets. I guarentee that my station will not be the only ones who get laid off from this. Thik about TV, Radio, Newspapers, magazines, intenet ads, you name it, it’s like Detroit… but in a new location. Does Obama plan to do my job for free, if I’m not there???? Somehow, I doubt that!
    Thanks Obama. You are really making change! By people losing incomes! Way to go!

  6. Emm: don’t worry; you will have the $900B stimulus package coming to your rescue; you will get the training you need to find something new, probably building bridges and repairing infrastructure; shouldn’t be a problem for you in Ohio, except for those cold winters working outside;

  7. I know for a fact that some broadcasters will keep their analog transmitters on-the-air until June, even though they’d really prefer to shut them off in February. Why???? Because they don’t want certain segments of society to view “The Company” in a negative light – kinda like the morons in congress who voted for the extension to begin with.
    This delay will cost SEVERAL million dollars. Furthermore some people may loose their jobs as managers struggle to stay within budget.
    All of this because a handful of people don’t understand or care about digital TV… Well, guess what? Come June 12th there will still be people who don’t understand or care about digital TV.
    I certainly hope Congress does a better job on the other issues they have before them, otherwise we’re totally screwed!

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