2009.05.13
The end is near. Again.
"We're going to schools, we're going to barbecues, we're going to picnics. We're going to where they are to spread the word." A politician campaigning hard, perhaps? An evangelist? No, those assurances were offered by Roger Goldblatt, outreach adviser for the FCC, on the agency's final push toward full conversion to digital TV.
This time, the end really is near for analog TV. Broadcasters will stop transmitting analog signals on June 12, the FCC says. Really. Even though about 3.5 million U.S. households still haven't gotten the converter boxes needed to allow their old TV sets to receive the new digital signals. It sure hasn't been for lack of government effort.
The FCC already postponed the conversion date from February, to give laggards time to update their equipment. No more second chances.
RSS feed 
Makes no difference to me. I don't own a TV. There are more good shows available online than I have time to watch.
Comment by Ed H — May 13, 2009 @ 6:02 pm
Yes, if they haven't heard about this and taken care of it, then they must not watch much TV to begin with. I'm not into huge HD TV's and a zillion channels but putting an antenna on top of my house seems like going back in time. That's how we got TV when I was a kid when we only got 3 channels and had to get up to change the channel. Just get cable and be done with it.
Comment by Susan — May 13, 2009 @ 6:16 pm
Well I don't have cable and LOVE not having it. I've had my converter box for a while now seeing as how this was supposed to happen a long time ago and it's great! I don't know why they delayed this to begin with...by just making the switch it will either force people to get the box or get cable if they really want to watch TV...and if they do neither, then they don't have TV?! what a horrid thought...
Comment by HCS — May 14, 2009 @ 8:34 am
We have a dish, so this whole changeover doesn't impact us. But I almost never have time to watch TV, I'm generally lucky if I watch more than 2-3 hours a week. We're seriously considering dropping our service and just getting a subscription to Netflix and watching tv shows that way once the season is complete, and just not bothering otherwise since we hardly watch. Maybe the only reason we hang on is that it only runs about $45 a month and we get a DVR with that, so we can record shows for when we actually do have the time. If it was more expensive, I probably wouldn;t have it at all.
Comment by Other John — May 14, 2009 @ 8:58 am