[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 11, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E240]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             DTV DELAY ACT

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                               speech of

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 4, 2009

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the 
impending transition our nation will be facing on their television 
broadcasts from analog to digital. Despite efforts that have been made 
by the government to advise the public as to what steps would be 
necessary to prepare for the transition such as continuous advisory 
commercials and convertor box coupons, there are still those who are 
not prepared.
  Whether it is because of a lack of accessibility to applying for the 
coupons or a delay in receiving the coupons, no one should be left ``in 
the dark'' when the transition occurs. The government to this point has 
been doing what it can to help those upon whom this transition is being 
forced by offering coupons to offset the cost of the converter boxes 
needed to continue receiving television broadcasts. Nonetheless, with 
the transition date of February 17, 2009, only a few days away, there 
are still more than 2 million households that are on a government 
waiting list to receive assistance in purchasing the converter boxes.
  It is for this reason that I am urging Members to support the DTV 
Delay Act, S. 352, sponsored by Senator John D. Rockefeller, which 
seeks to delay the transition date from February 17, 2009 to June 13, 
2009 and it would also extend the deadline of applying for government 
converter box coupons to July 31, 2009, provided that funding is 
available. This bill would also provide extra time for those who have 
not applied or received converter box coupons to still do so. Although 
this bill would not prevent stations from transitioning from analog to 
digital and letting others use the recovered air waves, it does allow 
for these same analog channels to have an extension in their 
broadcasting license on analog channels thus allowing people to 
continue viewing television broadcasts with their regular antennas.

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