McCaskill pushes coupon program
Special to the American
With just a little more than a year until analog televisions go dark because of the transition to digital television (DTV), U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is urging Missourians to make sure they get their government-provided coupons that will cut the cost of purchasing their TV converter box.
As of February 17, 2009, all analog televisions that are not connected to cable, satellite, or a converter box will be unable to receive a digital broadcast signal. In Missouri alone, 478,000, or one in five, households do not have cable or satellite and rely on over-the-air television.
The government is offering two coupons to every household, each worth $40, to help families purchase converter boxes for their televisions. A total of 33.5 million coupons will be available to consumers, and McCaskill is urging Missourians to request theirs sooner rather than later.
“I don’t want a single person in the state of Missouri to wake up on February 17, 2009 and not be able to get their local channels on their TV,” McCaskill said.
Many Missouri broadcasters already transmit in digital today, and with the help of converter boxes, Missourians can enjoy the benefits of digital television, such as better picture and sound, immediately.
You can apply to receive your coupons online or by phone, mail, or fax.
* Online: visit www.dtv2009.gov
* By phone: Call the 24-hour hotline at 1-888-DTV-2009 (TTY 1-877-530-2634)
* By mail: Send coupon application to:
P.O. Box 2000
Portland, OR 97208-2000
* By fax: Send coupon application to 1-877-388-4632.
NTIA has approved over 30 converter box models for the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. Retailers estimate the costs of the boxes to range from $40 to $70. NTIA has also enlisted over 250 retailers to carry approved converter box models. For more information, or to learn about where you can buy a TV converter box in your neighborhood, please visit www.dtv2009.gov.
McCaskill has been vocal about the need to better educate the general public about the upcoming switch to DTV. Earlier this year, she sent letters to the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) expressing concern about the lack of public education and awareness, and she recently questioned the FCC about their efforts to prepare the public for the transition in a Senate Special Committee on Aging focused on ensuring seniors are ready for the switch to DTV. She also harshly criticized the FCC’s lack of progress on finalizing consumer education rules and rules for broadcasters at a December hearing.