WASHINGTON — House lawmakers don’t want the cost of a television coupon program to catch them by surprise — or without enough money to ensure millions of Americans can still watch TV after their analog sets flicker out of existence.
On Wednesday, they asked for regular updates on the cost of the coupon program for converter boxes needed to update older TV sets.
People who watch free, over-the-air broadcasts via an antenna on analog sets will need such devices when the nation switches to an all-digital format next February.
Under the $1.5 billion program, the government is issuing two $40 coupons per household to subsidize the cost of the boxes.
The boxes, which run between $40 and $70, are on sale at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Best Buy Co. Inc., Circuit City Stores Inc. and other retailers.
Reps. John Dingell, D-Mich., who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Ed Markey, D-Mass., who chairs the Telecommunications and Internet subcommittee, said they want quarterly updates from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Federal Communications Commission on whether additional funds will be needed for that program. Both agencies are involved in the digital-TV transition.
“Judging from the rate that consumers are applying for coupons, it is unclear whether the funds currently allotted for the converter box coupon program will, in fact, cover all requests,” Dingell said in a release.
About 2.5 million consumers have ordered more 4.8 million coupons since the program started Jan. 1.
