Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Subsudizing TV's

  1. #1
    Featured Member lunchbox's Avatar
    Joined
    Sep 2005
    Location
    falling from grace
    Posts
    1,943
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 8 Times in 6 Posts

    Default Subsudizing TV's

    ...

    Analog TVs will no longer receive a signal come Feb. 19, 2009, unless users update their hardware to receive a digital signal.

    Federal officials announced details Monday about how that transition will work, saying the government will help consumers buy the necessary equipment to upgrade to digital -- a converter box that attaches to the TV set.

    The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) said it is setting aside $990 million to pay for the boxes. Each home can request up to two $40 coupons for a digital-to-analog converter box, which consumer electronics makers such as RCA and LG plan to produce. Prices for the box have not been determined, but industry and consumer groups have estimated they will run $50 to $75 each.

    ...

    Starting Jan. 1, 2008, all U.S. households will be able to start requesting the coupons, said Sedmak. If the initial $990 million allocated is used up, another $510 million will be set aside to cover the cost of the coupons. Consumers must show that they do not subscribe to cable or satellite or other television services.

    ...
    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...NGRHOK7S01.DTL

    $1.5 billion to make sure people with TV's can still use them. TV is obviously not as important as a stealth bomber, but more important then ensuring kids can read before getting to high school.
    Last edited by lunchbox; 03-13-2007 at 04:37 PM. Reason: derrr, subsidizing....

  2. #2
    Veteran Member T-10's Avatar
    Joined
    Feb 2007
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    220
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: Subsudizing TV's

    Quote Originally Posted by lunchbox View Post

    $1.5 billion to make sure people with TV's can still use them. TV is obviously not as important as a stealth bomber, but more important then ensuring kids can read before getting to high school.
    That appears to be the very sad truth

  3. #3
    God/dess Bridgette's Avatar
    Joined
    Apr 2002
    Location
    Gettin the fuck outta Dodge!
    Posts
    14,241
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: Subsudizing TV's

    Lobbying.

    Your tax dollars at work!

    Quote Originally Posted by pheno View Post
    When you lead a nontraditional life don't try to measure it with traditional milestones.

  4. #4
    God/dess Casual Observer's Avatar
    Joined
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Boston MA
    Posts
    5,670
    Thanks
    35
    Thanked 144 Times in 74 Posts

    Default Re: Subsudizing TV's

    Two steps forward, one step back.
    Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.

    William F. Buckley, Jr.

  5. #5
    Veteran Member
    Joined
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    471
    Thanks
    21
    Thanked 173 Times in 84 Posts

    Default Re: Subsudizing TV's

    "RCA and LG plan to produce"
    ^^^^^^^^

    the likely culprits in the lobbying efforts?

  6. #6
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re: Subsudizing TV's

    TV is obviously not as important as a stealth bomber, but more important then ensuring kids can read before getting to high school.
    Politics aside, there is a basis in law for doing this. A gov't decision to allow licensed broadcasters within the USA to cease transmissions of analog TV signals amounts to allowing those broadcasters to 'breach their contracts' - and also amounts to a 'taking' by gov't from the analog TV owners for which compensation is required.

    While LG and RCA do have an incentive to support digital video on the basis of potential sale of new TV sets, the major beneficiaries are actually the US over the air broadcasting networks who will be able to shut down analog transmitters and stop paying million dollar a month electric bills for their continued operation serving a smaller and smaller base of viewers who don't have digital TV's. We're talking about ABC CBS NBC and big city independent TV stations (usually owned by big city newspaper publishers) being the primary beneficiaries of the $1.5 billion dollars in gov't funding ! Indeed some successful lobbying has taken place, and IMHO this is 'payback' for their help during the last election !

    As to your point about gov't money being spent on education instead, all I can do is point out that in most large cities more than $10,000 per year per student is now spent on education, in exchange for deplorable student scores for reading / comprehension ! Spending $10,075 is not going to make any difference whatsoever in terms of reading skills !

  7. #7
    Veteran Member
    Joined
    Apr 2006
    Location
    houston
    Posts
    513
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re: Subsudizing TV's

    Well some of the logic of this is the government is estimated to get around $10 billion for selling the analog TV spectrum. Giving a billion to the annoyed TV owners, given a two trillion dollar plus government budget, isn't going to be the biggest travesty in the budget.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •