Don’t be left in the dark during the digital television transition

Commentary By Claire McCaskill

Now that the writers’ strike is over, many of us are back to enjoying our favorite TV programs. My daughters can’t get enough of the suspenseful investigations on “Law and Order.” My mother loves to laugh at the witty exchanges between the characters in “Two and a Half Men.” And with the presidential primaries upon us, my husband and I are thrilled to watch the talented cast of “Saturday Night Live” capitalize on the supply of comedic ammunition.
The hiatus of new and interesting television programming during the writer’s strike made TV fanatics appreciate our favorite shows more and made us realize how much we take this reliable form of entertainment for granted.
Now imagine if you came home one day to fi nd out your favorite program was gone — permanently. Except instead of being forced to watch reruns and endless hours of lame reality shows as an alternative, your TV set no longer received a signal at all. It was blacked out. No local news, weather and traffic would be available morning, noon and night. No morning talk shows. No soaps. No sitcoms. Nothing.
That’s what stands to happen to over 400,000 households in Missouri in less than a year on Feb. 17, 2009. Don’t ask me why they picked such an odd date, but that is the day analog — over-the-air broadcast signals — will cease and digital will take over. The idea was to open up the analog frequencies to first-responders to use for communications systems and at the same time give consumers a crisp, clear TV picture. This complicated sounding process is simply known as the DTV transition.
That’s right. In less than one year, you’ll have four options: 1) buy a new TV that can receive a digital signal, 2) subscribe to satellite service, 3) order cable service, 4) or keep your old, analog TV and purchase a converter box that will allow you to receive a digital signal. A basic rule of thumb is this: If you use bunny ears to receive your signal on an older TV, after DTV you’ll need a converter box to make it work.
You’re probably thinking, “It just figures that the government would make me do something that’s only going to cost me money in the end.” Well, in this case, the government is actually trying to put your tax dollars to work. Each household can receive up to two $40 coupons to go towards the purchase of a converter box, the cheapest way for households to make the transition. The government isn’t subsidizing new TVs or cable and satellite service.
You can order a coupon now and once you receive it, it’s good for up to 90 days. The converter boxes are on their way to store shelves as you read. Not only that, but nearly every single Missouri broadcast outlet is sending a digital signal at this very moment, so a converter box will work just as soon as it’s installed.
So why the push to take care of this potential problem now if the deadline is looming more than 300 days in the future? There are 21 million households across the country that currently rely on an analog signal. With only about 30 million coupons available, and keep in mind that’s up to two per household, you can do the math and see that some folks might lose out in the end.
Another reason is that there is no motivator like the last minute. As the deadline approaches, it’ll be like the day before Christmas when malls are crammed full of people and the high-demand items are fl ying off the shelves. it’s a nightmare. This can all be avoided by getting ahead of the game and starting now (and get a head start on your Christmas shopping while you’re at it).
I understand that the idea of installing new technology to an older television is a lot like being asked to program your VCR the fi rst time. It’s intimidating and confusing to say the least. However, there is a lot of information out there to help. By either calling 1-888-DTV-2009 or visiting www.dtv2009.gov, you can order a coupon, find a retailer that carries a converter box, learn how to install your converter box and get more information about the transition to digital. People are standing by to answer your every question, and my offi ce is certainly happy to assist.
The bottom line is that it’s important to get started making the transition now because when it comes down to it, it may be something far more important that comes over those airwaves than just some good entertainment you’ll be missing out on. It may be emergency information you’ll need to know for the safety and well-being of your family. I ask Missourians that we all do our part by passing on the word so that no one is left in the dark on Feb. 17, 2009.
Claire McCaskill, Missouri senator, is a guest columnist for the Journal. To respond to today’s commentary, call the Journal’s Rant & Rave line at 816-282-7020, or send comments via the Internet at www.bluespringsjournal.com.