Broke coupon funds prompts call to delay digital TV

Boston Herald ^ | 01/08/09 | AP

[buccaneer81]

On September 8 2008, Wilmington, North Carolina became the first city in America to fully switchover from analog to digital broadcasts. All analog signals were terminated at 12pm noon.

[Political Junkie Too]

The government is going to make BIG BUCKS when they sell the VHF bands. MUI companies are lined up and around the block for them.

What are they planning to do with the frequencies? What businesses might be impacted by a delay in freeing them up?

-PJ

[TruthWillWin]

“..Will all of this make Jack Benny come back?”

Ah the Jack Benny Show. Did that come on just before or after the Cousin Herb Show?

[buccaneer81]

My 12 year old son loves G4. It is kinda cool sometimes.

[Dallas59]

They play the old “COPS” episodes. I like those.

[GOPJ]

Is it that big a deal if someone turns on their TV and they don't have a picture?

I can see panic about children not getting emergency health care - or the elderly being abused in nursing homes - but this? No TV picture?

It has all the importance of a drama queen Hollywood denizen getting a bad cold on her divorce day...

[freedumb2003]

What are they planning to do with the frequencies? What businesses might be impacted by a delay in freeing them up?

I think they have been auctioned -- I am not sure what companies want them but since they are such strong bandwidths I have to assume large fleets want them and there are also some wireless applications.

The businesses won't be affected by not having what they don't have now, but MUI the Government is being pressured to release the bands. And the government wants the revenue.

[freedumb2003]

My 12 year old son loves G4. It is kinda cool sometimes.

The "pop-up trivia" versions of Star Trek (TOS and TNG) were a kick.

[buccaneer81]

They play the old “COPS” episodes. I like those.

Makes me feel old when I see those late '80s Chevy Caprice and Dodge Diplomat cruisers. Seems like a million years ago.

[buccaneer81]

The "pop-up trivia" versions of Star Trek (TOS and TNG) were a kick.

Yeah, but the texting at the bottom of the screen was annoying.

[savedbygrace]

How many people grabbed a coupon under the “GIMMEE! IT’S FREE! mentality that didn’t need one? And how many TV’s are still in use in this country that are strictly analog? I’m sure the figures would be interesting.

It's not quite that simple. The coupons had an expiration date, and when fedgov first released them to the public, there were no converter boxes available to buy. So, a lot of consumers got coupons that timed out before they could buy a box. It's been a real fedgov mess.

[Dallas59]

To bad ID isn’t in HD...yet.

[television is just wrong]

Television is just wrong!

why do we worry so darn much about poor people....

[SoothingDave]

Three words: Emergency Broadcast System.

[buccaneer81]

To bad ID isn’t in HD...yet.

NOOO! LOL! That's my wife's favorite channel.

[Political Junkie Too]

Thanks. I wasn't sure if business were going to use them for operational stuff, or if new innovative consumer technologies were going to use them for new stuff.

-PJ

[Allegra]

Are there DTV transmissions yet in Iraq?

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!

Oh...{cough!} sorry for that little outburst... ;-)

[DevNet]

Wireless internet.
Nextgen cell tech.
Emergency response.

[DevNet]

Weather alerts.

[buccaneer81]

You mean The Emergency Alert System. With those annoying "eechh, eechh,eechh" noises.

I miss the old EBS, with the piercing steady tone. Back in the '70s as a kid, you always wondered if the missiles were inbound (My Dad was in SAC.)