The 2009 Digital Television Debacle

[chanel]

Almost a year ago on February 4, 2009, Congress, with the approval and urging of President Obama, passed an act to delay the switch to digital television. The switch was originally scheduled to take place in February 2009, Congress voted to delay the switch by four months, presumably because the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had run out of funds for the transition. But documents uncovered by Judicial Watch reveal that the digital television delay could have cost taxpayers an unnecessary $450 million in stimulus funds.

The main reason given for both the delay and the need for additional funds was that FCC couldn't afford to redeem consumer coupons. The coupons, each worth $40, were issued to the public in order to buy the digital convertor boxes necessary for the switch. On January 8, 2009, John Podesta wrote a letter to Congress on behalf of Obama's transition team, asking to delay the switch. Podesta said that the initial $1.5 billion set aside to redeem the coupons had run out, and "over 1 million coupon requests sit on a wait list, unable to be fulfilled." But in order to redeem all the coupons on the wait list, it would have cost only $40 million, not $650 million. Even if, as the Presidential Transition Team estimated, "the number could climb to over 5 million unhonored requests," it still would have required only $200 million to redeem the coupons. So why did Congress give FCC another $450 million in stimulus money?

According to FCC, most of the stimulus money was actually caused by the delay. In FCC's draft of how it would use the funds, it stated that "If congress delays the February 17, 2009 cutoff date...there will be significant expenditures necessary." While $250 million in stimulus funds was reserved to pay for coupon redemption, FCC estimated that "an additional 10 million coupons will be requested during a 90 day delay, and...will require $240 million in additional stimulus support." The additional expenses included:

1. Additional Coupons: $240 million
2. Better Coupon Program Administration: $70 million
3. Field Support: $65 million
4. Paid advertising: $25 million

Obama Administration Caused Delays, Cost Millions: The 2009 Digital Television Transition | Judicial Watch

Doesn't this shit just make your blood boil?

 

[Christopher]

Another example of government efficiency at work.

 

[blastoff]

Coming soon from those folks who've given you the USPS, Amtrak, the Digital TV Debacle and much much more...ObamaCare!!!

When it comes to wasting money, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

 

[uscitizen]

And why should the govt have paid for converter boxes anyway?

did the Digital TV/converter box issue start on Obama's watch?
And why did he get it in such a mess?

 

[Zoom-boing]

A deadline was set and I remember reading that the excuse for extending that original deadline was because many people wouldn't be ready so . . . . they extended it, costing millions of wasted dollars. So that means everyone was ready when the second deadline was set, right? Government m.o. . . . . did you screw up? 'S-ok, we've got ya covered.

 

[Gadawg73]

The transition was mandated by the Bush administration; the government and not the free market.
Judicial Watch failed to mention that fact.
Imagine that.

 

[RadiomanATL]

did the Digital TV/converter box issue start on Obama's watch?

Clinton's.

edit: The idea started under Clinton. Mandated by congress under Bush.

 

[mudwhistle]

Why is anyone surprised that Obama has once again cost us more then necessary.

 

[RodISHI]

At least we could get one station here prior to this debacle. Now we don't get any.

 

[FireGod]

The transition was mandated by the Bush administration; the government and not the free market.
Judicial Watch failed to mention that fact.
Imagine that.

Why is anyone surprised that Obama has once again cost us more then necessary.

Yeah think about that again eh?

 

[Gadawg73]

did the Digital TV/converter box issue start on Obama's watch?

Clinton's.

edit: The idea started under Clinton. Mandated by congress under Bush.

Republican Congress passed the mandate in 2005.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

I can't get any stations. No Tv.

I think the transition period was originally two years, and it got at least one extension under Bush. Given the hype and the noise, if you weren't ready by Jan 2009, you didn't care enough to make it worth while.

And why should the government pay for TV?

 

[Polk]

The transition was mandated by the Bush administration; the government and not the free market.
Judicial Watch failed to mention that fact.
Imagine that.

And? Even the smallest small government types ever should realize that setting technical broadcast standards is within the purview of Congress.

 

[Polk]

At least we could get one station here prior to this debacle. Now we don't get any.

Rural area, I'm guessing. It's because digital signal fades faster. Analog signal slowly tapers off, but digital signal just drops from on to off.

 

[Polk]

And why should the government pay for TV?

It's misleading to say the government is "paying for TV". The government is paying individuals due to an act they're taking (conversion from analog to digital) which harms them.

 

[RadiomanATL]

did the Digital TV/converter box issue start on Obama's watch?

Clinton's.

edit: The idea started under Clinton. Mandated by congress under Bush.

Republican Congress passed the mandate in 2005.

Isn't that what I just said??

 

[chanel]

It matters not to me if it was Clinton, Bush or Obama. Its 450 million for TV! Since when is that a "right"?

Waste, waste, and more waste.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Only the government can not do something and have it cost more.

Less for more should be the government pitch line.

 

[RadiomanATL]

It matters not to me if it was Clinton, Bush or Obama. Its 450 million for TV! Since when is that a "right"?

Waste, waste, and more waste.

It's actually a good idea, just implemented horribly.

 

[RadiomanATL]

Here's the confusion:

FCC mandated that all television signals be digital by 2006. They did this in 1997 (Thats why it started under Clinton). However, there were issues with the technical/market/business aspects of this mandate. So it really got extended twice. Once in '05 when congress passed a congressional mandate giving the stations until '09 instead of '06 to do it, and then again in February '09 giving consumers a chance to catch up.