Digital TV conversion delayed until June 12 TELEVISION

MIAMI - FEBRUARY 04: Bob Granville reaches to change the channel on his analog television set in his home Februrary 4, 2009 in Miami, Florida. He said he is glad their will be a delay in the move to a digital signal given his inablity to drive and buy himself a converter. The U.S. House voted today 264-158 to delay the analog TV shutdown to June 12 from the original date of Feb. 17. The bill, already approved by the Senate, now goes to President Barack Obama for his approval, which is expected to pass. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) less MIAMI - FEBRUARY 04: Bob Granville reaches to change the channel on his analog television set in his home Februrary 4, 2009 in Miami, Florida. He said he is glad their will be a delay in the move to a digital ... more Photo: Joe Raedle, Getty Images Photo: Joe Raedle, Getty Images Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Digital TV conversion delayed until June 12 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

Television viewers who rely on sets that use antennas to pick up broadcast signals have about four extra months to get ready for the nation's switch to digital TV.

The House of Representatives voted 264-158 Wednesday to push back the Feb. 17 deadline to June 12, a move that President Obama had supported. The vote, largely along party lines, gives approximately 6.5 million unprepared households more time to get ready for the day when all analog TV broadcasts are turned off.

"The passage of this bipartisan legislation means that millions of Americans will have the time they need to prepare for the conversion," the White House said in a statement. "We will continue to work with Congress to improve the information and assistance available to American consumers in advance of June 12, especially those in the most vulnerable communities."

The Senate first passed the bill unanimously last week and then resubmitted it after a corresponding House vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed. Wednesday's House vote required a simple majority.

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"We are not ready for this transition," Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, said during the House debate. "We can fix these problems and minimize this catastrophe if we pass this legislation."

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

The bill passed by the House does not include new money for a federal program aimed at providing viewers $40 coupons toward a converter box, which runs $40 to $80. The program has dispensed its allotment of $1.34 billion worth of coupons and is waiting for unused coupons - good for 90 days - to expire before issuing new vouchers.

About 3.5 million requests are now on the waiting list. The new legislation also allows consumers to reapply for a coupon if their vouchers have expired.

Obama's stimulus package includes $650 million for the converter box coupons, but Republicans argued that the money will not be available for weeks if not months.

Opponents of the delay said the new transition date only adds more confusion, delays the handover of old spectrum to emergency first responders and doesn't come with money of its own for the coupon program. Some Republicans took issue with the Democrats' streamlined approval process for the bill, which prevented representatives from amending the legislation and adding funding for the coupons.

"We're delaying a hard transition today without any additional money or any way to send out additional coupons," said Joe Barton of Texas, the top Republican on the House Commerce Committee. "How silly is that?"

The delay does not mean every station will continue to broadcast in analog. Broadcasters will be permitted to shut off their analog transmission before June 12. That creates a potential uneven transition for analog viewers, who might still lose some channels, depending on what local stations decide to do.

Despite that scenario, proponents said the delay was necessary to not only disburse more coupons but also help educate people about issues that arise from the transition.

"We knew there was going to be some challenges moving forward even if the date is moved, but this allows us so get more information and assistance to folks," said Mark Lloyd, vice president of strategic initiatives at the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund.

For more information about the transition to digital TV, go to www.dtv.gov, or call (888) 388-2009.