Barbara Lee Supports Postponement of DTV Transition
For Immediate Release
February 4, 2009
Contact: Nicole Y. Williams
(202) 225-2661
Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) voted in favor of postponement of the Digital Television transition which would have taken place February 18, 2009. This legislation provides for a one-time delay through June 12, 2009. Without this delay, millions of Americans televisions would “go dark” on February 18, 2009, disproportionately impacting low-income, rural, and elderly Americans. The Nielsen Company estimates that there are 6.5 million households, 6 percent, that will lose all TV reception if the February deadline remained in place.
“The federal effort to help people buy converters to prepare for DTV has been insufficient to keep up with the need across the nation,” said Rep. Lee. “On January 30 of this year 3,809 households in my district were on the waiting list for digital converter boxes. By February 2, the number had increased to 4,234. That’s an increase of 425 households in just four days.
“This delay will allow us the necessary time to ensure that every person, particularly those disproportionately affected by this transition, is prepared for when the switch is flipped to digital television.”
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