Commentary
By Rep. Geoff Davis
After a four-month delay by Congress, the digital television (DTV) transition will officially occur on June 12, 2009. On that date, all over-the-air broadcasters will switch from an analog to a digital format.
The DTV transition will bring higher resolution television broadcasts with dramatically improved picture and sound quality. Additionally, the transition will free up valuable broadcast frequencies that can then be used by public safety entities, like police, fire departments and emergency rescue squads. As your Congressman, I wanted to provide you with a final review of the necessary steps you should take to make sure your family is prepared for the DTV transition.
If you own a digital television (a TV with an internal digital tuner), or if your analog television is connected to cable or satellite, your TV should continue to function without interruption after June 12, 2009. Any television sold in the U.S. after March 1, 2007, was required to include an internal digital tuner. If you are unsure whether your television includes an internal digital tuner, check for a label that says “Integrated Digital Tuner,” “Digital Tuner Built-In,” “Digital Receiver,” or “Digital Tuner,” “DTV,” “ATSC,” or “HDTV.”
The DTV transition may affect your ability to watch television if you own an older TV that only receives analog broadcasts. If your analog television is connected to rooftop antennae or “rabbit ears,” you will need to buy a special digital-to-analog converter box in order to continue watching broadcast television after June 12th.
Converter boxes can be purchased at most stores that sell home appliances for a one-time cost of between forty and seventy dollars. The boxes plug into your television and will keep it working after the DTV transition. To find a list of local retailers that sell digital-to-analog converter boxes, visit
https://www.dtv2009.gov/VendorSearch.aspx. If you have purchased a converter box and have questions about installation, you can get help online at
https://www.dtv2009.gov/Links.aspx or by calling 1-888-CALL-FCC.
To help make the converter boxes more affordable for consumers, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) implemented the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program. Through the program, each household can receive up to two coupons worth forty dollars each to be used toward the purchase of eligible converter boxes. A list of eligible converter boxes is available at
https://www.ntiadtv.gov/cecb_list.cfm.
Earlier this year, the Converter Box Coupon Program nearly ran out of funding; as a result, many Americans who needed to obtain coupons were put on a waiting list. In February, Congress voted to postpone the DTV transition to June 12th and fix the funding issue in order to give consumers more time to get coupons and purchase converter boxes. If you need to buy a converter box but have not yet acquired a coupon, you have until July 31, 2009, to request a coupon online at
https://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx or by calling 1-888-DTV-2009. Coupons expire 90 days after they are issued.
The National Association of Broadcasters recently estimated that more than four in five “at-risk” households (households that rely exclusively upon analog television) are already prepared for the DTV transition. If you are not sure if you are ready for the transition, I encourage you to visit
http://www.DTVTransition.org and use the free tool to determine how the transition will impact you. As always, my staff is available to assist you with any questions or concerns you have about the upcoming transition. Please feel free to contact my Fort Mitchell office at (859) 426-0080 and we will do all we can to help you.
Rep. Geoff Davis of Hebron represents Kentucky's Fourth Congressional District.
