Digital TV Conversion Deadline Extended to June

Television owners and viewers who currently use TV sets that use antennas to pick up their television broadcast signals have about four extra months to get ready for the nation's switch to digital TV and digital signals. This delay gives approximately 7 million unprepared families and households more time to get ready for the day when all analog TV broadcasts are turned off and digital signals will be the only signals available. So they now have 4 more months to acquire a digital converter box or receiver.

Consumers who now own or rely on traditional over-the-air television broadcasts will need to upgrade to a pay TV service such as a satellite or cable service, install a digital converter box on their older analog set, or go out and buy a TV with a digital TV tuner or receiver.

The new stimulus program includes almost $700 million for the digital converter box coupons, but Republicans argued that the money will not be available for weeks if not months so it will not help for the June deadline.

Opponents of the delay to a new digital signal said the new transition date only adds more delays, confusion, and slows down the hand over of old spectrum to emergency first responders and doesn't come with money of its own for the digital converter box coupon program.

The delay to digital TV does not mean every television station will continue to broadcast in analog. Broadcasters still have the right to and are permitted to shut off their analog transmission before the new June 12 deadline. That creates a potential uneven transition for analog and also digital viewers, who might still lose some channels and be even more confused, depending on what local stations decide to do.