Had Congress not passed the DTV Delay Act, today many poor households unprepared for the switch would have been forced to find alternative entertainment––other than watching television.
Had Congress not passed the DTV Delay Act, today many poor households unprepared for the switch would have been forced to find alternative entertainment––other than watching television. The new law means broadcasters are not required to make the switch to digital by Feb. 17 and instead can wait until June 12. But at the discretion of the broadcaster, it can make the switch between Feb. 17 and June 12. That means that households still using rabbit ears to receive a TV signal instead of cable or satellite would have lost transmission. For households who choose not to subscribe to cable or satellite, they must purchase a converter box for their TVs, which costs $50-$80, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Nearly all of the Chicago area TV stations said they would not be making the switch until June 12: ABC7 Chicago, WCIU Ch. 26, NBC5 Chicago and CBS2 Chicago. At Defender press time, FOX, WGN-TV and WTTW could not be confirmed if they plan to switch next week or wait until a later date. But for poor families struggling to keep a roof over their head, subscribing to cable or satellite is one expense they plan to do without. “I cannot afford either service because it is too expensive,” said Irene Taylor, 39, a single mother of three. “They (cable stations) show the same thing four and five times a week so why bother getting the service. The shows on local stations have more quality and are better for children to watch anyway.” For more information about the digital switch, viewers can call 888-225-5322. ______ Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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