Culture: Obama Focuses on Important Stuff

Obama: Let's Postpone Digital TV Switch

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama is urging Congress to postpone the Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting, arguing that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air channels won't be ready.

In a letter to key lawmakers Thursday, Obama transition team co-chair John Podesta noted that the Commerce Department has run out of money for coupons to subsidize digital TV converter boxes for consumers.

People who don't have cable or satellite service or a new TV with a digital tuner will need the converter boxes to keep their older analog sets working.

Obama officials are also concerned that the government is not doing enough to help Americans — particularly those in rural, poor or minority communities — prepare for and navigate the transition.

----Haha. This is silly. Government is NOT the answer to everything in this country. Pres-Elect Obama is worried that poor folks have TV to watch. I'm sorry. If you don't have TV shows to watch, your quality of life will NOT be worse. Plus, if you didn't prepare for the switch to digital (ie...get a free coupon), you need to just suck it up. We've know about this for, what, a year? Plus...uh...it is just TV.