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House to Vote Tuesday on DTV Delay

Jan 26, 2009  •  Post A Comment

Congress could make official a delay in the digital TV transition to June 12 as soon as today, sending legislation postponing the digital TV transition to President Barack Obama before week’s end.
Where do you stand on delaying the DTV switch? Make your voice heard in TVWeek’s online poll. Click here to take the survey.
On Monday night, hours after the Senate unanimously approved delaying the DTV transition from Feb. 17, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., announced he was abandoning plans to craft his own DTV-delay legislation and would instead seek an immediate House floor vote on the Senate bill on Tuesday.
“I am pleased that the Senate has acted to delay the deadline, which is our only hope of mitigating the negative impact on millions of consumers,” Rep. Waxman said. “In light of the Senate action, I will work with the House Democratic leadership to bring up the Senate bill for consideration Tuesday.”
Mr. Waxman’s comments reiterated senators’ concerns Monday that Congress needed to act quickly.
“Delaying the upcoming DTV switch is the right thing to do,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., who proposed the delay in the Senate.
“ firmly believe that our nation is not yet ready to make this transition at this time. The Senate acted responsibly to give the Obama administration time to attempt to bring order to a mismanaged process.”
The committee’s ranking Republican, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said while she had serious concerns about shifting the transition without a plan to inform consumers or deal with a shortage of converter-box coupons, the proposed legislation solves those problems.
“These changes will help consumers whose coupons have expired, and allow TV stations that are prepared, and ready, to move forward without the requirement of simulcasting,” she said, adding that Sen. Rockefeller had promised there would be no second delay.

9 Comments

  1. But would that Vote Feb 17, 2009. DO NOT DELAY JUNE 12 also angry!!!!!!!! “WRONG FOR THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA”

  2. Keep in mind, the proposed legislation, both senate and house is for an optional delay… not mandatory. Many TV stations will go ahead and convert on February 17 anyways. A survey of public television stations nationwide shows over 60% are going ahead with the February 17 date anyways. All of the stations in Southern Oregon, both commercial and public, have decided to move ahead on February 17 anyways. The law is toothless as proposed and will probably largely go ignored by TV stations.

  3. There is nothing in the news article that says this is an OPTIONAL delay??

  4. NO!NO!NO! Do not change the date!
    I do believe people are confused about the box & some households HAVE WAY TO MANY BOXES! I have been at different stores & was told people are buying the boxes then storing them because they are not sure if they will need them or not.
    What needs to be done is a LITTLE BIT BETTER EXPLAINING ON WHOM NEEDS THE BOX & WHOM DOES NOT!
    PLEASE WE HAVE WAITED LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN—-“DO NOT CHANGE THE DATE”-PLEASE!
    HAVE THE STORES EXPLAIN ABOUT THE BOX-DO NOT HAVE THE STORES SALE THEM JUST TO MAKE MONEY. PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHO NEEDS THE BOX & WHO DOES NOT- IF YOU HAVE DISK NET WORK , CABLE TV, DIRECTV YOU DO NOT NEED THE BOX!!!!!
    ONCE PEOLPE SEE THIS ALOT OF BOXES WILL BE RETURNED.
    DO NOT CHANGE THE DATE FOR US THAT ARE READY.

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