Schumer has plan to smooth digital TV transition

Sen Charles Schumer (D-NY) said that nearly 300,000 Upstate New York households, particularly the elderly, may be left in the dark as television switches from analog to digital transmission. He went on to unveil a three-part plan he said would ensure that residents get coupons for the DTV converter boxes that older TVs will require when the switch is made nationally on Feb. 18, 2008: 1) Increase funding for awareness and implementation of the analog-to-digital switch and converter box coupon program; 2) Direct the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to allow consumers with expired coupons to reapply for new ones; and 3) Request the Federal Communications Commission to identify the pitfalls of the program and fix them.
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