U.S. government to subsidize Digital to Analog set top boxes.

[Bitek]

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy


I bet ya instead of 73 million boxes, the govn't will have to cough up for less than 10 million.

But I bet that they waste.....er.....spend the entire $3 billion.

They are going to spend it anyway. Do you think they will just send you dividend check after they sell *your* spectrum?

The money to pay for the boxes would come from an auction of analog airwaves. TV stations would return that spectrum to the government once they start broadcasting in digital only. Such an auction is expected to raise $10 billion.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: Engineer
Then I want the government to pay for my "digital" cable box for my analog TV's then. I'm pissed off to pay $15 per month extra to have digital across my TV. If the "over the air" folks get free switchovers, then why not me?

Sorry....I still don't like it. Also, I don't think there are 73 million sets using "air only" broadcasts.

Cable & satellite distribution methods are not subject to FCC regulations, there is nothing forcing change on those networks nor do you have any ownership of either.

As already mentioned here broadcast TV is an essential method of information dissemination. The internet is great & wonderful but when it comes to getting the same information to millions of people at the same time it falls flat on its face (Remember the morning of 9/11 trying to hit any of the major news sites?).

Like it or not it's important to keep OTA broadcasting working for everyone.

Viper GTS