Reply #11: If you haven't already got a discount coupon, you may be out of luck: [View All]

[Contrary1]

DTV Coupon Program Out of Money

If you haven't ordered a coupon for a converter box to prepare for next month's switch to digital television, you may have trouble getting one before the Feb. 17 deadline.

Today the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which is running the coupon program, said it is nearing the program's $1.34 billion funding limit. That means people trying to order coupons will be placed on a waiting list until more funds become available. Here's a story with more details.

Each $40 coupon expires after 90 days. Unredeemed coupons are redistributed to other households that need them. But by the time those coupons become available, millions of analog TVs may already be dark. Coupon orders have been at record highs over the past week.

If you have an analog TV that is not hooked up to cable or satellite service, you will need a converter box in order to keep watching TV.

At this point, Congress will have to step in to give the NTIA more money. It's also possible that the NTIA will seek dollars from the stimulus plan to keep it going.


http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2009/01/dtv_coupon_program_out_of_mone.html?wprss=posttech