Congress has approved a four-month delay in plans to switch to all digital television transmission. The deadline was delayed over concerns about a shortage of converter boxes and lingering consumer confusion. Now, on June 12 broadcasters will be required by law to turn off their analog signals.
The later deadline will pose new problems for local TV stations that will have to pay larger power bills to keep both analog and digital signals on the air. In addition, the delay will stall the plans by public safety agencies and telecom companies to use the airwaves made available by the DTV transition.
For more information on the DTV transition, go to www.dtv.gov or call 1-888-DTV-2009. For more trustworthy and timely advice on how to be a savvy consumer, go to www.bbb.org.