Posted on 01/09/2009 1:21:13 PM PST by Las Vegas Dave
President-elect Barack Obama this week has joined the growing chorus of people who have concluded that the nation is not ready for next month's Digital TV transition.
In a letter to key lawmakers urging that the February 17 switch to digital be delayed, Obama's transition chief cited a litany of issues including the fact that federal funds for digital converter coupons have run out.
While Obama's transition team is correct to point out that the digital transition could force millions of people to lose their TV signals, the President-elect is woefully late to address this problem. By calling for a delay now, Obama is like the captain of the Titanic calling for his deck commander to make a left turn before hitting the iceberg.
But Mr. President-elect, where were you last year when some of these problems started to surface? Why didn't you speak out then when it could have had an impact on how government and industry officials handled the transition process?
Yes, I know you were busy, but don't tell me this issue wasn't important enough to address. It seems to be important enough now to call for a delay.
And don't tell me that you weren't aware of the problem -- because you were asked about the transition in June in an interview with Broadcasting & Cable. After reading your remarks, below is a commentary I wrote last June urging you to get involved in this issue Obama Is Fuzzy On Digital TV Switch The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee apparently has no clue that the transition is in trouble. By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (June 17, 2008) -- Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, was asked this week by Broadcasting and Cable Magazine for his views on the nation's switch to Digital TV, scheduled on February 17, 2009.
His response: Nothing.
Well, okay, not literally nothing, but it might as well have been.
In an e-mail response to B&C, Obama jotted down the usual spin about the importance of educating consumers -- and ensuring that the neediest people get those $40 federal coupons that can be used to buy digital converter boxes.
(On February 17, 2009, all full-powered local stations must switch their analog signals to digital which means viewers will need a Digital TV, a digital converter box or a pay TV subscription to continuing watching television.)
"I am committed to working with the Senate and House Commerce Committees and the appropriate agencies to ensure that this transition happens without significant disruption and inconvenience," wrote Obama, or more likely, some Obama staffer. But in recent weeks, countless studies and numerous witnesses before congressional committees have testified that the transition is on wobbly ground. For instance:
* The government says it may run out money to mail converter box coupons to consumers who want them -- and it says it has no plans to request more money for that effort; * Hundreds of thousands of converter coupons are scheduled to expire soon -- and the government currently has no plan to allow consumers to reapply for them; * Consumers are having trouble finding the converters in stores with retailers adding that they have no idea when more converters will be available; * Millions of consumers say they have no plans to prepare for the switch; * Millions more who don't need to do anything for the switch are planning to get converter boxes anyway, leaving fewer available for those who do need them; * Millions of homes may lose some local stations even if they get converter boxes, which will likely cause widespread anger and confusion.
And so on...and so on...
But in Obama's comments, the senator offers no indication that the Digital TV switch could become the technological equivalent of Katrina -- with millions of people losing their TV signals overnight. He also expresses no indication that the transition is even in trouble, despite the piling evidence.
The transition is now just seven months away, but the Illinois senator seems like he isn't even paying attention.
"The transition will continue to require public-private cooperation and targeted outreach to seniors and lower-income communities. We have made coupons available for converter boxes, and we need to ensure that the neediest individuals are receiving them," Obama stated.
Blah, blah, blah.
Before you accuse me of political bias, let me say that Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee, is no better. The Arizona senator has issued the same robotic responses to questions about the transition, suggesting that consumer education is needed and the government must work with the private sector. (President Bush has also all but ignored the problem; the National Association of Broadcasters has even publicly urged the president to get more involved.)
But everyone knows that. What we don't know is what our so-called leaders are going to do about ensuring that this sinking ship is righted before it's too late. The transition is scheduled for February 17, 2009 -- less than one month after the next president takes office.
Whoever that might be, he better wake up and start paying attention to what could be the first major disaster in his administration.
LVD
(If you search Freerepublic using the keyword "“HDTV”, you will find most of the past HDTV postings.. )
Hey he could have even voted present on it when he joined the Senate.
How would the Crat voters get their daily fix of propaganda?
“...he better wake up and start paying attention to what could be the first major disaster in his administration.”
No, I think the first major disaster will be when he misses all those late January, early February mortgage payments and gas tank fill-ups.
As far as I know, he did absolutely nothing while he was in the Senate, even before he took off to run for president.
But he did receive some of the largest campaign contributions, even as one of the most junior senators. That was his chief accomplishment.
He has managed to become a multimillionaire without doing anything. Even as an adjunct professor, he wrote not ONE article. How many people could do that and keep getting rehired for ten years?
What we don't know is what our so-called leaders are going to do about ensuring that this sinking ship is righted before it's too late.
FYI, President Bush will be sitting on the dock of the bay when the good ship Digital TV sets sail.
Where the $#@&*! is my $40.00 coupon?
“...How many people could do that and keep getting rehired for ten years?”
Only beneficiaries of affirmative action can keep getting rehired like that.
Obozo would have said something sooner, but his teleprompter has an analog display.
I don’t understand the commotion over this issue. New digital TV’s are available for $100 upwards from places like Best Buy and Wal Mart. The low end TV is two days’ wages for a minimum wage worker. It’s not like we’re back at the introduction of black and white TV’s 60+ years ago, when a low end TV cost several months’ salary.
I think BO’s plan is to repeal the digital TV conversion and replace it with an all-digital conversion of AM Radio (effective 1/21/2009)
Not getting tv via an antenna is going to be a major disaster? I think floods, famine, plauge when I think of major disasters, not missing Seinfeld reruns.
I was livid when I heard this today. There is such an entitlement mentality in our country that it is downright sickening.
Television - whether analog, digital, via satellite, via cable, or whatever - is NOT a right. Sure you have the right to receive broadcast signals if you have a television but its not my job to buy televisions for everyone.
I have a portable TV that will be rendered useless after this transition since it only gets analog signals.
Where’s my check to replace it?
I want pie! And a tv!
Add government pork to the mix($40 coupon)= DTV boxes selling for 500% markup. Grab the ankles.
Hahahaha!! I guess they'll need a dozen or more tax increases to get back up to snuff! How about a $10.00 tax on a pack of cigarettes or a $10.00 tax on a gallon of gasoline? Oh, wait, people are using less of those now.
I know! A tax on mens peckers, based on the average length of a woody!
FMCDH(BITS)
Exactly. The large group of people that aren’t smart enough to plan for this switchover are probably the same large group of people who would probably most benefit from their TV’s becoming inoperable.
I suspect many of those who live in rural areas and regularly take advantage of OTA broadcasts because they made a conscious choice to avoid satellite services will probably already have planned for this switchover.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Hussein can shove it. He thinks he can stop technology? Gimme a break.
what a jerk.
Another example of a clown liberal politician trying to stymie business.
Hopefully Congress will ignore him more than once...starting with this goofiness.
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