House Defeats Bill to Delay Digital TV Transition

The House of Representatives has rejected a bill to postpone the digital TV transition. The decision comes two days after the Senate voted to move the date from Feb. 17 to June 12.
Fearing too many Americans are unprepared for the changeover, the Senate unanimously passed a bill Monday to allow viewers more time to subscribe to cable or to purchase a digital converter box. President Barack Obama requested a delay earlier this month after the government-sponsored program providing coupons to offset the cost of a $40 converter box maxed out its budget. The bill's defeat is the first setback for the Obama administration.
Approximately 2.5 million Americans are still waiting for coupons, while the Nielsen Co. estimates that more than 6.5 million households are unprepared for the analog-to-digital switch.
The changeover date was first set in 2005.