Frances Zurlys watches television Tuesday at her home in the Eldridge elderly housing community in Morris. (John McKenna / Republican-American)
Posted on 01/14/2009 7:00:55 AM PST by Graybeard58
MORRIS — Frances Zurlys won't be able to watch "Oprah" on television after Feb. 17 when she and as many as 5 percent of the state could see their analog televisions go black.
The 84-year-old Waterbury native has a television she bought for $5 at a tag sale years ago and uses an inside antenna to get the signal.
Television sets equipped with digital tuners and those connected to cable and satellite systems will continue to display programs. Those still relying on antennas — either indoor or outdoor — must have a $50-$70 converter box attached in order to continue receiving the signal.
"I've had medical expenses that are a priority," said Zurleys, who hasn't decided yet whether to buy the needed converter, watch television at the local Senior Center, or simply do without. "If the government is insisting that we go digital and they are in charge of the airwaves, they should pay for the conversion."
A test conducted Monday by the Connecticut Broadcasters Association which sent alerts to televisions at risk were inconclusive about the exact number of sets that will become obsolete, spokeswoman Laura Soll said. Nationwide, the FCC estimates that about 12 percent of the population depends on analog signals.
Procrastinators are getting help from the Obama-Biden Transition Team which cried foul after a government sponsored program that gave away $40 coupons ran dry recently along with the $1.34 billion allotted for it. The team is asking for an extension of the cutoff date. State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal agrees and said Tuesday he plans to file paperwork to extend the federal deadline by at least several months.
"Consumers deserve financial support, especially in tough economic times," he said. "There is no downside to a delay, which could make more money available."
Broadcast television stations have been preparing for the switch that has been in the works for more than a decade, set in motion by Congress during the Clinton administration.
More than 1 million coupon requests have been put on a waiting list, according to a Jan. 8 letter from the Obama team to members of the U.S. House of Representative's Committee on Energy and Commerce and the U.S. Senate's Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
"By February, projections suggest the number could climb to over 5 million unhonored requests, increasing by hundreds of thousands every day," the letter states. A waiver of the Anti-Deficiency Act is necessary to keep coupons going to consumers on a short-term basis. Congress is expected to debate the issue before the deadline.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin is opposed to changing the date because it would confuse the public and be unfair to the broadcasters who have invested in the transition, said Edie Herman, FCC spokesman. Soll doesn't believe efforts under way to extend the deadline will change it.
Zurlys is taking it all in stride. She isn't in a hurry to pay $55 for a converter box available at the Torrington Radio Shack where they have been selling at a brisk pace to bridge the digital divide.
"I'm not going to go crazy without it," she said. "I love to listen to the radio."
Frances Zurlys watches television Tuesday at her home in the Eldridge elderly housing community in Morris. (John McKenna / Republican-American)
And Mrs. Zurlys has no family members that can help her out with the $59 unit, right? No son or daughter that will buy her a coverter? Man, how dod people ever get along without government, Oprah, or their TV?
How did he know THAT was going to happen??!?
Obama’s transition team thinks THIS is important?
Good lord, its going to be much worse than I originally envisioned.
Once again, the LCD holds America back.
I can’t wait for the riots when the old TVs stop working.
Then again, ghetto folk never have problems finding high-end televisions.
For how long? Until the nitwits die?
The rest of America wants it to go ahead!
Sean Hannity announced last week that he’d read that the Obama team wanted to continue their campaign style on into the WH—slogans, chants, etc. That will only work effectively if TV pours into the homes of the people who have nothing else to do but to listen to TV. He wants to capture the votes, support and hearts of the people who have nothing else to do.
I personally love the digital broadcasts. The only potential problem is that when the signal degrades due to distance from the transmitter you lose the picture totally - no snowy video available. Of course the flip side is you don’t hurt yourself trying to make out what’s happening behind the snow.
-—yeah—this and the college football “championship” are really important issues—
Next?
Please send in the next victim.
I thought he wanted and end to the BCS system, and a college football playoff.
lol.
Americans have had at least 12 months notice, incessant ads, Government giveaways to but the converter boxes. There will always be sad sack cases among the population. Unfortunately, the answer must be “tough.”
Once again, those of us who played by the rules find out that we don’t matter.
We pay our bills, while the losers get bailed out.
We control our debt while the losers live far beyond their means, but all kinds of cool stuff they can’t afford that those of us who play buy the rules don’t or can’t buy. They get bailed out, we get the shaft.
I’m done feeling sorry for stupid people.
It was an inspired guess. And now ...
Oh boo hoo. No Oprah; sounds like a move up.
The boxes were free forever. How dumb can you be? Oh wait...
The digital feed is supposed to IMPROVE after the changeover...the power dumped into providing the old analog signal is going to be moved to the digital feed. These dinosaurs who didn’t get the job done already are holding us back!
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