Washington – The House of Representatives moved early Monday to provide millions of households with coupons to buy equipment to keep their television sets working after broadcasters switch from analog to digital signals. But consumer groups warned that the new law would still impose significant costs on viewers.
The House measure, including a mandate to complete the transition to digital television by early 2009, was included in budget legislation approved shortly before sunrise by a vote of 212-206. The provisions, awaiting Senate approval, are of enormous importance to the television, cable and wireless-telephone industries.
As part of the transition, the legislation would provide each household with up to two coupons worth $40 each for converter boxes to attach to analog television sets so they are not obsolete once broadcasters surrender their analog licenses Feb. 17, 2009, as the new law would require. Not coincidentally, the date was selected to fall two weeks after the Super Bowl and a month before the widely watched NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Supporters of the legislation said it would allow enough time for a smooth transition and would raise billions of dollars for the Treasury from the sale of analog-spectrum licenses that will have to be surrendered by the broadcasters and are being sought by wireless-telephone and broadband providers. The legislation would also set up a $1 billion program for emergency workers to upgrade their communications systems.
“A great technical revolution that has been in the making for years will finally be complete,” said Rep. Joe L. Barton, R-Texas, who heads the Energy and Commerce Committee. “We will have three years to prepare for the transition. That is more than enough time for manufacturers and retailers to move low-cost digital televisions and converter boxes into the market, for the Federal Communications Commission to complete the channel-allocation process, for broadcasters to finalize their digital facilities, and for government and industry to prepare consumers for the transition.”
But consumer groups said the money allocated for the program, $990 million to $1.5 billion, would not be nearly enough for all of the analog television sets and that many consumers would need to pay $20 or more to upgrade each television set in their home that is not connected to a cable or satellite service. (The converter boxes are expected to cost about $60 apiece, and the coupons cannot be combined for a single purchase.)
“This is the government making your TV go black and then only paying part of the costs for some of the people to make it work again, and none of the costs for others,” said Gene Kimmelman, public-policy director at Consumers Union.