Washington, D.C. — Congressman G. K. Butterfield applauded the passage of legislation providing a needed delay in the transition to digital-only television broadcasting.
“Without this delay, far too many Americans would have been unprepared and left in the dark,” Butterfield said.
The House approved the DTV Delay Act by a 264 to 158 vote, which now heads to President Obama to be signed into law. The bill postpones the date of the analog-to-digital television transition from February 17, 2009, to June 12, 2009. Under current law, all full-power television stations were required to cease analog broadcasts on February 17, 2009.
To ease the transition, Congress funded a Converter Box Coupon Program that provides up to two $40 coupons to offset the purchase of digital-to-analog converter boxes. Unfortunately, the fund was exhausted on January 4, 2009 and people are experiencing delays in receiving the coupons of up to eight weeks. Congress is expected to act soon to provide the funds needed for additional coupons.
Butterfield said that as the transition date has drawn near, it has become increasingly apparent that the existing government programs to support the transition are insufficient. Nationally, the waiting list for coupons has grown to more than 2 million people, including 5,958 people in Butterfield’s district. Across North Carolina, there were 58,387 people on the coupon waiting as of February 2, 2009.
While cable subscribers will be unaffected by the transition, Nielsen Media Research estimates that about 6.5 million Americans are still unprepared for the digital transition.
“This will allow time to clear the waiting list and give people more time to learn more about what this transition will mean for them,” Butterfield said. “Even people who avoided the long waiting list, received a coupon for a converter box and then bought the converter box could still be left without a signal. Analog signals travel further than digital signals, and many people still do not realize they may still need a new digital antenna to receive the signal.”
Butterfield made the following statement on the House Floor during debate on the bill:
I would like to thank Chairman Waxman for his leadership on this important issue. I am pleased that we have another chance to pass this vitally important bill because it has becoming increasingly clear that with the digital transition deadline looming just two weeks away, millions of Americans are at risk of being left in the dark.
With an estimated 6.5 million households still unprepared for the digital transition, it is clear that a short implementation delay is necessary. There are nearly six thousand households on the waiting list for converter box coupons in my District alone; and that number grows daily.
Without a delay, many of these people would be without television service and vulnerable in the event of a disaster or national emergency. I represent a poor and rural area where many people rely on over-the-air television broadcasts, so this issue is particularly important for my district.
People clearly need more time to learn just what this transition will mean for them. Even my constituents who managed to buy the converter box could still be left without a signal. Analog signals travel further than digital signals, and many people may still need a new digital antenna to receive the signal.
I wish the Energy and Commerce Committee had the opportunity to mark up this bill because I believe some issues remain unresolved. However, I strongly support this bill and look forward to its swift passage so that consumers are afforded more time to prepare themselves for the DTV transition.
Thank you, I yield back the balance of my time.