Five years to the day before 9/11, first responders told us they needed vastly more communications capacity in order to cope with a large emergency. Instead, we gave them silence, and the absence of reliable communications was held responsible for many deaths inside the World Trade Center. More years have passed since 9/11, and they’re still waiting for our help.
The scheduled Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting will give first responders the functioning equipment and broadcast frequencies they need. In fact, help was on the way for three years before the Obama transition team panicked and told Congress to delay. Last week, Congress tried to accommodate the White House, but the Senate’s DTV-delay bill failed to gain sufficient support to skirt normal rules in the House.
Now, all of us have work to do. Contrary to what you have heard, the digital TV transition program is neither stuck nor broke, and there’s no need for further delay. In fact, a delay could actually cause fewer people to be ready when their stations transition to digital.
Yesterday, acting FCC Commission Michael Copps told me and Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla. that 61 percent of TV stations – 1,089 – could switch to a digital signal before June 12 without causing interference to other stations. The other 39 percent – 700 or so stations – may be able to do so.
What the FCC is saying is that despite the Democrats’ insistence in pushing back the transition date to ease consumer confusion, in fact, many stations can transition earlier. Given that the delay will cost stations millions, not to mention the fact that they are ready to transition, why wouldn’t they? How exactly does that help consumers? It reinforces what Cliff and I have been saying for weeks – that a delay will hurt first responders, add confusion and cost millions.
The worst part about the Democrats’ bill is that it doesn’t actually do anything to get converter box coupons into the hands of consumers. It merely delays the transition. The money for the coupons comes from the “stimulus” bill, to the tune of $650 million dollars for both coupons and consumer education. This is no way to reduce consumer confusion.
Republicans have a better alternative, yet the Democrats refuse to even debate our amendment on the House floor. The alternative, recommended by the Commerce Department under President Bush, still exists in the form of pending legislation to authorize $250 million for more converter box coupons. This simple action would empty the waiting list, and we even anticipate getting most of the money back because we know from experience that many of the coupons will go unused.
Nobody quite understands why the Democrats are so determined to fix something that isn’t broken, but the more you look at what they’re doing, the more you understand that the repair job makes things worse instead of better. Someone said it’s like getting Roto-Rooter to come out and clog your kitchen sink.
Dan McLaughlin
Moe Lane
Neil Stevens
Steve Maley
You said it, Joe
E Pluribus Unum (Diary) Wednesday, February 4th at 11:29AM EST (link)This is more of the Democrats “campaigning by sound bytes”. It sounds, in the air, like a kind and compassionate thing to do [delaying the DTV rollout], yet even a cursory examination of the situation just screams “leave it alone!”
Thanks for dropping by over here, Congressman Barton. You know that you are my congressman, right?
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DTV was ridiculous from day 1
scottbomb (Diary) Wednesday, February 4th at 11:48AM EST (link)1. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t free up any bandwidth in the VHF and UHF spectrums. It still allocates 6 MHz to each station, same as they use now, which gives them enough room to go HD.
2. All they’re really doing is making some stations move from one frequency allocation to another. This is intended to reassign 700 MHz which is wanted for interop public safety allocations. This could have been done without going digital.
2. 80% of households are connected to CATV or satellite so this transition has no impact on them. And if you really want HD, chances are you already have cable or satellite.
3. Anybody who’s still using rabbit ears and hasn’t gotten their converter just doesn’t have their act together. You can’t legislate intelligence.
4. DTV reception range will not be as good as analog. As with digital radio (P25), the signal is either there or it’s not. If you were on the fringe of the reception area (getting poor reception) you will likely now get NO reception.
www.HowObamaGotElected.com
“The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of ‘liberalism’, they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.” – Norman Thomas, U.S. Socialist Party presidential candidate 1940, 1944 and 1948
#3
jbauer Wednesday, February 4th at 12:33PM EST (link)i am in favor of leaving the conversion date alone, but getting the converter box for my grandpa was a major PITA. after waiting a few months for the coupon to arrive i had trouble locating a converter box. best buy was always out of stock and tried to convince me to buy a new tv instead. circuit city only had a $100 box and not the cheaper (roughly free after coupon) box. by the time i could find the cheaper box the coupon had expired, and i had to start the whole process over again. i am not surprised people wont be ready for the switch.
Going back to first causes here
anodized Wednesday, February 4th at 11:52AM EST (link)It would appear the Democrats are willing to waste a lot of money to ensure nothing comes between Americans and their TV. That’s really what it comes down to. Why don’t they just fund cable TV subscriptions? Could well be cheaper.
Who still has over the air TV?
Achance (Diary) Wednesday, February 4th at 11:57AM EST (link)And why should I buy a converter box for them? Why should I care whether they get TV or not? I saw converter boxes at WalMart for under a $100; it ain’t like somebody’s having to choose between eating and watching TV.
Course, now that I think about it, a lot of over the air TV must go to public housing and Section 8 housing where there is a large Democrat constituency. Wouldn’t want to interfere with their getting their Democrat propaganda dose.
In Vino Veritas
$640M to Replace Rabbit Ears?
Spartan4Life (Diary) Wednesday, February 4th at 12:20PM EST (link)This one really sticks in my wife’s craw.
At $50 a pop that means there are 15 million of these needed. I am not buying that. Something else amiss here.
Here's closer to the real reason for Obama wanting DTV delay
izoneguy (Diary) Wednesday, February 4th at 12:06PM EST (link)http://thenextright.com/chemjeff/the-truth-behind-the-proposed-dtv-conversion-delay
But, in terms of the DTV transition, the House Republicans were more than merely “uncooperative” – they were absolutely right. The purported rationale for the delay was that the $40 coupon program has run out of money, people are being put on a waiting list, and it will take time for everyone to get their converter boxes.
Here’s closer to the real reason: The Obama advisor for telecom policy, R. Gerard Salemme, just also happens to be an Executive Vice-President for Clearwire. Clearwire has a cooperative agreement with Sprint to build a 4G wireless internet network. When it comes online, it would be the fastest wireless internet network in the country. Naturally other wireless companies are working on their own 4G networks too. Clearwire’s major competitor in this capacity is Verizon. Verizon is also planning a 4G network, and they are planning on using the soon-to-be-vacated analog TV spectrum in which to operate their network. So, a delay in the DTV transition only helps Sprint/Clearwire and hurts Verizon.
So, is Clearwire, via Salemme, manipulating government to obtain a competitive advantage over Verizon? No! It can’t be! Only evil Rethuglicans do that!
The point cannot be made often enough: Modern liberalism, as embodied in the Obama presidency, is the defender of the status quo. And the status quo is a road to economic ruin. Political forces cannot redistribute the wealth that the economic system does not produce.
I don't understand this paragraph.
Flagstaff (Diary) Wednesday, February 4th at 12:51PM EST (link)“Yesterday, acting FCC Commission Michael Copps told me and Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla. that 61 percent of TV stations – 1,089 – could switch to a digital signal before June 12 without causing interference to other stations. The other 39 percent – 700 or so stations – may be able to do so.”
Isn’t the change supposed to take place February 17? What does June 12 have to do with it? And if 39% “may” be able to switch over on June 12, doesn’t that imply that even fewer “will” be able to switch over on Feb 17?
“The press is so powerful in its image-making role that it can make a criminal look like he’s the victim and make the victim look like he’s the criminal. If you aren’t careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”– Malcolm X, Audubon Ballroom, December 13, 1964