[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 28, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             DTV DELAY ACT

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                               speech of

                           HON. JIM MATHESON

                                of utah

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 27, 2009

  Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank Chairman Waxman for 
addressing problems with the transition to digital television which was 
due to happen next month.
  The simple fact is that millions of Americans are not prepared for 
the digital switch.
  In Salt Lake City, Nielsen Media Research reports that nearly 9 
percent of households are completely unprepared. Salt Lake ranks as the 
sixth least-ready out of 56 surveyed.
  The coupons authorized by Congress 4 years ago--to help families 
acquire the hardware they need to view programs once the digital change 
is made--aren't getting to the customers.
  Millions of Americans are currently waiting to receive the coupons. 
The agency charged with distributing them has fallen behind.
  My office has been attempting to assist constituents with the program 
for several months. I know of cases where coupons have expired before 
they even reach consumer mail boxes. That's ridiculous.
  I'd like to thank Chairman Waxman for working with the Senate to 
address concerns I raised about the coupon program. This is a Senate 
bill, but it is important to acknowledge the work of the Energy and 
Commerce Committee in trying to fix DTV problems.
  The last thing families need right now is the prospect of additional 
monthly bills in order to watch television.
  Finally, I am pleased to see that this bill allows for emergency 
services to begin using some analog space. It also provides flexibility 
by allowing broadcasters who are ready-to-go to switch to digital 
service earlier than June, which is a good idea.

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