Today’s (Not) The Day

Today was supposed to be the big day.  The day we finally shut off the analog broadcasting transmitters and switched to all-digital broadcasting.

After about 10 years of planning, preparation and public awareness, the government decided too many people still weren’t ready and stepped in at the last minute to delay the change.

Now we get to go through this all over again in June.  As if an extra 4 months is going to substantially change the number of people who aren’t ready.

This delay is only going to add to the confusion since broadcasters are not “required” to delay the cutoff, they “may” delay it if they wish.  So instead of everyone switching at once and dealing with the problems and confusion one time, there will be at least two dates for switching and increased confusion as some stations switch and others don’t.

The government really should have stayed out of this.  One of their big concerns was the derth of coupons for converter boxes.  In their infinite wisdom, they delay the change, but make no provisions for extar coupons, more funding for the coupons or reissuing the expired coupons people already have.  So they step in add to the confusion and don’t do anything to help people.  Sounds like a typical government program.

Now we can reset our count down clocks for June 12, 2009.

2 Weeks And Counting

Unless you’ve had your television turned off for the past 6 months, you have seen many, many spots reminding you that the conversion to digital broadcasting will occur two weeks from today on February 17.

There was a last minute push in Congress to delay the switch, but they didn’t garner enough support.

Studies show a large number of people have analog sets and do not have converter boxes.  I’m certain some number of people are going to be negatively affected by the switch, but you know what, no matter how long you delay it some people will be negatively affected by the switch.  If you wait until everyone is ready, you’ll never do it.  Actually making the switch is the fastest way to get the stragglers to do something.

There are far too many people with far too much money and power behind the change to allow it to be delayed.

So if you are one of those people who still has an analog TV, AND you get your television from over-the-air broadcasts (no cable or satellite), AND you don’t have a converter box, AND you want to keep watching “Deal Or No Deal” in two weeks, you need to do something.  The other 90+% of you can go back to watching TV.