[Fumblerooskies]

Washington, DC - Congress has now decided to give people four more months to prepare for the upcoming transition from analog to digital TV broadcasting. The House voted Wednesday to postpone the end of analog TV signals until June 12. The move is meant to address concerns that more than 6.5 million Americans with older TVs would not be ready by Feb. 17, the originally mandated deadline. The House took up the question last week but under a special procedure that required more than a simple majority. This time it went through a normal vote. The Senate passed the measure unanimously last week and the bill now heads to President Barack Obama

http://www.wset.com/news/stories/0209/591821.html

[LUconn]

If you haven't made the switch by now and you don't have cable or satellite, you are an idiot and don't need to be watching any more TV. They started these stupid digital PSA's like 2 years ago if not longer. Maybe no TV would be motivating to these retards.

[Kolzilla41]

If you haven't made the switch by now and you don't have cable or satellite, you are an idiot and don't need to be watching any more TV. They started these stupid digital PSA's like 2 years ago if not longer. Maybe no TV would be motivating to these retards.

+1

[thepostman]

If you haven't made the switch by now and you don't have cable or satellite, you are an idiot and don't need to be watching any more TV. They started these stupid digital PSA's like 2 years ago if not longer. Maybe no TV would be motivating to these retards.

exactly...i got rid of cable a few months ago..it took like 2 seconds to sign up for a voucher...why is America encouraging people to procrastinate?? oh yeah, our government is run by a bunch of idiots...

[absturgill]

I got Directv after moving down to Lynchburg because I was denied coupons by the government. I tried on several occasions and wrote to the bureau, but was flat out denied any chance of getting coupons.

But, it's OK. Directv is better, MLB channel, NFL Network, ESPN, ...

[Schfourteenteen]

If you haven't made the switch by now and you don't have cable or satellite, you are an idiot and don't need to be watching any more TV. They started these stupid digital PSA's like 2 years ago if not longer. Maybe no TV would be motivating to these retards.

exactly...i got rid of cable a few months ago..it took like 2 seconds to sign up for a voucher...why is America encouraging people to procrastinate?? oh yeah, our government is run by a bunch of idiots...

They need to just stop giving away coupons for it. Now they ran out of funds in what, December? Start making the lazy sacks pay instead of milking Congress for more money so everyone can watch Judge Alex

[TDDance234]

Not to mention all the money that cable companies who were already complying with the switch are going to lose. Companies have been gearing up for two years to make the switch in Feb. and now are going to lose out by pushing the date back.

Way to reward those who do what they're supposed to. Idiots.

[LUconn]

6.5 million Americans with older TVs would not be ready

Wouldn't 6.5 million Americans going out and shelling 50 bones for a converter box be good for the economy?

[Schfourteenteen]

6.5 million Americans with older TVs would not be ready

Wouldn't 6.5 million Americans going out and shelling 50 bones for a converter box be good for the economy?

Who wants to help the economy? The economy is supposed to help me.

[RubberMallet]

i am so adamantly against this whole coupon thing. we have been seing commercials for this for 5 YEARS. you lousy tards couldn't stash away 10 bucks a year for this? you knew it was coming. if it was a spur of the moment thing i could understand....but didn't they have to buy tv's anyway at some point in time? the gvt didn't give them that too.

television isn't a right americans have.

[TDDance234]

television isn't a right americans have.

Bingo.

[RagingTireFire]

television isn't a right americans have.

Clap-clap-clap.

(it was taking too long to find the emoticon)

[RubberMallet]

i'd like to also see the correlation between the use of broadcast signal on analog tvs and how many of them smoke and drink every day? ....is that a fair assumption.

[LUconn]

well, while I agree that there's no right to television, the free market isn't exactly at work here. The government is mandating that every station switch to digital. I'd be fine if they weren't giving these things out for free but it makes sense that they're picking up the cost. On the other hand, is the government paying for the equipment that the station itself has had to invest in? I doubt it.

[mrmacphisto]

well, while I agree that there's no right to television, the free market isn't exactly at work here. The government is mandating that every station switch to digital. I'd be fine if they weren't giving these things out for free but it makes sense that they're picking up the cost.

Bingo.

[TDDance234]

well, while I agree that there's no right to television, the free market isn't exactly at work here. The government is mandating that every station switch to digital. I'd be fine if they weren't giving these things out for free but it makes sense that they're picking up the cost. On the other hand, is the government paying for the equipment that the station itself has had to invest in? I doubt it.

So if the government demands the entire country to be wireless enabled, does that entitle you to have a laptop on their expense?

[Schfourteenteen]

well, while I agree that there's no right to television, the free market isn't exactly at work here. The government is mandating that every station switch to digital. I'd be fine if they weren't giving these things out for free but it makes sense that they're picking up the cost. On the other hand, is the government paying for the equipment that the station itself has had to invest in? I doubt it.

So if the government demands the entire country to be wireless enabled, does that entitle you to have a laptop on their expense?

No but it does entitle you to a wireless router, if you go through the necessary channels

[TDDance234]

well, while I agree that there's no right to television, the free market isn't exactly at work here. The government is mandating that every station switch to digital. I'd be fine if they weren't giving these things out for free but it makes sense that they're picking up the cost. On the other hand, is the government paying for the equipment that the station itself has had to invest in? I doubt it.

So if the government demands the entire country to be wireless enabled, does that entitle you to have a laptop on their expense?

No but it does entitle you to a wireless router, if you go through the necessary channels

...and since when has access to the internet been a right? Or access to television? What happens if they decide to shift all radio stations to an HD stream...does that mean I get a new car stereo?

No one is entitled to a privilege.

[LUconn]

well, while I agree that there's no right to television, the free market isn't exactly at work here. The government is mandating that every station switch to digital. I'd be fine if they weren't giving these things out for free but it makes sense that they're picking up the cost. On the other hand, is the government paying for the equipment that the station itself has had to invest in? I doubt it.

So if the government demands the entire country to be wireless enabled, does that entitle you to have a laptop on their expense?

Well, outside of God-given rights, I don't think we're entitled to anything. But what we should be focusing on is why is the fed mandating these things? What business of it is theres?

[Schfourteenteen]

So if the government demands the entire country to be wireless enabled, does that entitle you to have a laptop on their expense?

No but it does entitle you to a wireless router, if you go through the necessary channels

...and since when has access to the internet been a right? Or access to television? What happens if they decide to shift all radio stations to an HD stream...does that mean I get a new car stereo?

No one is entitled to a privilege.

When the govt takes away a privilege you already have earned, its smart to compensate for it. TV isnt a right. But the Govt doesnt have the right to take away the TV in the first place. So they are in essense obligated to help people get back what was taken from them in the first place.

But now is ridiculous. Its been known for so long the people who sat on their hands should pay the price for not taking the govt up on its offer

[mrmacphisto]

well, while I agree that there's no right to television, the free market isn't exactly at work here. The government is mandating that every station switch to digital. I'd be fine if they weren't giving these things out for free but it makes sense that they're picking up the cost. On the other hand, is the government paying for the equipment that the station itself has had to invest in? I doubt it.

So if the government demands the entire country to be wireless enabled, does that entitle you to have a laptop on their expense?

Well, outside of God-given rights, I don't think we're entitled to anything. But what we should be focusing on is why is the fed mandating these things? What right of it is theres?

Bingo. And fixed it a bit to fit the language of the debate.

[TDDance234]

The biggest problem in June is that the same people who object now are going to object then. We'll push it back again in four more months and than we're really raise a stink. The best solution I've seen is to let people claim a $50 deductable on their taxes and get the transititon over with.

[Schfourteenteen]

The biggest problem in June is that the same people who object now are going to object then. We'll push it back again in four more months and than we're really raise a stink. The best solution I've seen is to let people claim a $50 deductable on their taxes and get the transititon over with.

Or - tell the people who waited till after the 15th to buy it themselves

[mrmacphisto]

The biggest problem in June is that the same people who object now are going to object then. We'll push it back again in four more months and than we're really raise a stink. The best solution I've seen is to let people claim a $50 deductable on their taxes and get the transititon over with.

Or - tell the people who waited till after the 15th to buy it themselves

As long as the government doesn't run out of vouchers again, I don't have a problem with that.

[Schfourteenteen]

I can understand them holding back the first time they ran out of vouchers. Thats what they should have done, announced that vouchers ran on a limited supply and once theyre gone theyre gone. Bad situation, but when money stops it needs to stop. Of course we can just add to our debt who cares? -I know it doesnt significantly add to it, but the methodology and practice of taking without limits isnt helping at all