House Republicans Against Postponement Of Digital Switch, Favor Issuance Of More Coupons

January 14, 2009 6:37 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - More problems continue to hound the federal government as the Feb. 17 deadline for the switch to digital television broadcast fast approaches. Aside from running out of funds to distribute coupons that subsidize the purchase of converter boxes, House Democrats are against a proposal to amend a rule that would allow the government to distribute more coupons because it would be too late.

Senate Commerce Committee members, though, are still studying the proposal for the government to issue more coupons. Some members of Congress are in favor of allocating more funds for the coupon program, while others want the switch delayed by three months.

House Republicans wrote President-elect Barack Obama that they are against a postponement and are in favor of issuing more coupons.

If the Feb. 17 switchover will push through, almost one-fifths of the U.S. full-power TV stations will no longer reach 2 percent of viewers still using analog signals, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

The loss of TV signal will be due to the digital cliff effect in which homeowners living along the fringes of analog coverage areas will lose their reception after Feb 17. Currently they get fuzzy analog signals.