Your post almost hit on one of the key drivers of this mandate. TV makers wanted to sell more TVs (and these new set top converters). So, they greased some palms so that the government would force the issue.
Of course nothing like that goes on in our government does it? :)
Yepper, good ole Al Gore and the tv industry. HD tv wanted to get rid of the boxed tube tv and bring in more expensive HD flat screen tvs to the public. But no one was buying them. Government saw a need to expand cell phone band width and that is solved with moving the tv signal to digital. They came to Al Gore and found an inroad into moving Congress to do this. This was supposed to happen in 2003 but they were not selling tvs. Then they went to Congress again and Congress delayed the signal switch until 2009 so that a coupon could be issued to buy a converter box.
So they can get out more coupons. More money to those who can not afford the new tvs. From our hard work to those who don't. These converter boxes are only $40 for the low end box. They want to get this done because the cell phone signal is getting crowded.
It is acceptable for the poor to be affected by a government mandated change to television. If they can't afford the same privilege as everyone else, do to government intervention, it is just tough.
That too.... I saw a report somewhere that Nielsen (the ratings company) was very concerned
that they would loose their network clientele. Oh well,
just another company having to lay off workers because of government mandates.
Thanks.... I stand corrected. I was assuming that sense the tuners of the old analog tv were not going to receive the DTV signal that DTV would be of some other source.
Imagine that, Congress not planning ahead...
NOw people who were supposed to get coupons are on a waiting list until congress gets more money for coupons...
So it is ok to take from those that have to give to those that have not? Just to get a tv signal? How much more are we willing to have to put up with? Last I saw is that no one went hungry missing a tv program.
I don't see what the big deal is.
Those who have the money get new TVs.
Those who don't get the coupons.
Even those who HAVE the money get the coupons.
How about the government just go ahead and buy these boxes themselves and give them to those who need it.
It won't cost THEM $40 to buy them (although knowing their history, they might pay many times that for them - LOL).
Hey - the government has always had control of the airwaves.
TV is not a right.
If someone can't afford it right now, or the coupons are gone for now, then you just don't get TV service.
It's really not THAT big a deal.
Radio is still free - you can still get your news from the news stations.
Why should any entertainment be free if it's causing either cost issues or other issues?
Stop selling cell phones?
That's a joke.
There's no way to stop THAT wave.