Analog-to-Digital Television Switch - Back to February 17

"House Kills Digital TV Delay; Still Set for Feb. 17"
Wired (January 28, 2009)

"The House, led by minority Republicans, killed a bill Tuesday that would have delayed the nation's switchover to digital television by four months. The legislative sideshow threatened to push back the rollout until June 12 (not really, but read on) which is now still on track to occur Feb. 17 -- ready or not.

"And while the bill actually would not have exactly solved the readiness issue it is a virtual certainty now that something in the neighborhood of 6 million U.S. homes will be seeing snow instead of their favorite programs on the family set in less than three weeks -- unless this inaction by Congress somehow spurs tremendous behavior modification by analog stragglers to do the things they haven't bothered to do for the past three years...."

I still think we could have held out for the right to free widescreen digital television sets, and a constitutional amendment that would require all TV news anchors to be beautiful women. But maybe Congress has more pressing matters to consider.

Related posts:

• "Digital Television Delay Vote Delayed"
  (January 27, 2009)
• "Congress May Delay Television Digital Switch - I am Not Making This Up"
  (January 26, 2009)
• "Analog-to-Digital Television Switch: Oh No! How Will I Ever Afford a New Television Set?!"
  (January 8, 2009)
• "Analog-to-Digital Television Switch Coming February 17 - Or Not"
  (January 8, 2009)