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FCC: Local TV stations must delay digital switch
Affiliates, including those in Dayton, ordered to stop digital transition indefinitely.
Friday, February 13, 2009
The Federal Communications Commission has ordered 123 broadcast television stations, including Dayton's major network channels, to cease their planned early switch to digital signals on Feb. 17.
The stations, which had been previously granted permission, now must stop the transition until further notice, the FCC announced.
"We have identified 123 stations of the 491 intending to terminate analog service on Feb. 17 whose early termination poses a significant risk of substantial public harm," the commission said in a notice published Wednesday, Feb. 11.
"We developed this list of stations by first identifying the markets in which all the stations would be terminating analog service on Feb. 17, 2009."
The stations are in 29 states. Recent legislation has set June 12 as the new date of transition.
The Dayton stations include WKEF, an ABC affiliate; WHIO, a CBS affiliate; WRGT a FOX affiliate; and WDTN, an NBC affiliate.
WHIO-TV General Manager Harry Delaney declined comment Thursday night, saying he'd talk about the FCC decision today, Feb. 13. Other station officials could not be reached for comment.
On Wednesday, President Obama signed a bill delaying the transition.
"Millions of Americans, including those in our most vulnerable communities, would have been left in the dark if the conversion had gone on as planned, and this solution is an important step forward as we work to get the nation ready for digital TV," Obama said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7407
or sbennish@DaytonDailyNews.com.
Comments
By britt
February 14, 2009 4:54 PM | Link to this
I think Obama is afraid that if the switch over was made, all the people who voted for him, wouldnt be able to see him save the world on TV
By Tom
February 13, 2009 3:59 PM | Link to this
I ordered coupons for myself, my parents and my brother. We all got them in a timely fashion and we all got our converters which were in ample supply…that is unless you waited until the last minute.
Let Obama buy these procastinators low-tier cable for 3 months and give them one more chance to get with the program…but for God’s sake…let’s get this over with.
I think digital is going to cause all sorts of reception problems anyway and this will all have been a big mistake.
By Nonna
February 13, 2009 3:28 PM | Link to this
Someone asked this earlier, “And with everything else that is going on in the country, why is Obama worried about a very small percentage of the population that would not be able to watch tv?” The answer is, it is same group of dumb ones that voted for him.
By 4myatari
February 13, 2009 3:06 PM | Link to this
The FCC decided to convert to digital during the Clinton administration; neither Bush nor Obama had anything to with it. Please stop validating the term IDIOT BOX with your ignorance. The converter box producers procrastinated, thus making the boxes unavailable in a timely fashion. I know several people who ordered coupons as soon as they were available, but no stores in Ohio had the boxes in stock prior to the coupons’ expiration. This board is proof that everyone needs less television.
By Jack
February 13, 2009 3:04 PM | Link to this
I have to agree with the majority of people here, this is stupid. The switch has been a long time coming, and if you are not prepared now, why will you be in June. Now more tax dollars are going to be lost because of this. And all because our President believes that a lot of you are morons and excepts this as fact. The cost has not changed and will not change. That excuse is tiresome. If two years ago, you would have saved two bucks a month, you probably would be fine.
By truthdetector
February 13, 2009 2:44 PM | Link to this
John, I understand how you feel, and I would like nothing more than for the crawler things to go away so I can see the faces of those on my TV again.
However, it’s not up to the local stations. They operate under the law and they stay on the air. If they don’t (and say, don’t delay the transition) the FCC has people with GUNS who will close them down until they do.
By Mark
February 13, 2009 2:35 PM | Link to this
You folks like johncompton, just love to talk down to the minority. Those kind of people suck. He probably gets satellite TV, anyway.
By johncompton
February 13, 2009 2:34 PM | Link to this
made sure it was DTV.
This is NOT a new idea(as i said i have known at LEAST 12 years about the switch).
DTV doesnt (and wont) have as good a signal as it can untill the analog transmitters come down and the permanent digital ones go up in thier place.
i want to go on further…but im starting to get mad about this.
WHIO….Please say screw them and switch NOW.
By truthdetector
February 13, 2009 2:25 PM | Link to this
But Al, the living room isn’t the problem. That has cable. It’s the bedroom and the kitchen and the garage/workshop that need the converter boxes. It’s awful! How can they watch Jay Leno while they make out in bed on February 18th? Oh, the humanity!
By johncompton
February 13, 2009 2:23 PM | Link to this
Just a few comments….. I have known about the switch since about 1995 or 1996…there is no reason that everyone else shouldn’t have have also known this long.
I hope channel 7 sues the government to recoup some of the costs of the delay.
Elderly people are no dumber(or smarter) then the rest of us…so lets leave the elderly card out of it.
The government should pay for any of the cost of a convertor box. If you bought a new tv in the last 10 years…you should have…
By Sue
February 13, 2009 1:50 PM | Link to this
I’m not ready. I’ve had my coupons for a while now and they expire at the end of February. Maybe I’ll get a box by then, maybe not. Who cares? My tv hasn’t been turned on in weeks anyway. TV is not a necessity.
By AL
February 13, 2009 1:45 PM | Link to this
Hmm. I never realized that television was a human right. Always thought it was a luxury. I have several friends around the world who don’t have a tv set at all…they seem fine with it. Apparently it’s different for us here in the good ol’ US of A.
A chicken in every pot? Nah…more like a tv in every living room.
By flipper
February 13, 2009 1:44 PM | Link to this
Phooey on the FCC. Hit the switch.
By Matt
February 13, 2009 1:40 PM | Link to this
I think the same problem will happen with comes time in the summer to happen. Dayton TV stations should go ahead and pull the plug. If people are not ready that is their problem!
By brunnegd
February 13, 2009 1:23 PM | Link to this
NO NO NO.Proceed at full speed to make the switch. There will be just as many not ready to receive DTV, whenever the switch is thrown, as there are now.
By Ziggy
February 13, 2009 1:23 PM | Link to this
This exact same problem will occur in the summer whenever the switchover will occur. I don’t think it’s Government’s business to tell stations when to do the switchover. The government needs to fulfill the responsibilities of the Constitution and nothing more…
By Karen
February 13, 2009 1:21 PM | Link to this
Waiting for the day when I have to start calling the feds to ask permission to go to the bathroom. They (the government) are not going to be happy until they have everyone asking them and how and when they can do anything.
By truthdetector
February 13, 2009 1:09 PM | Link to this
Dave, the reason that the digital signals are not as powerful is the reason to turn off the analog signal, and boost the power to the digital signal.
By Dave
February 13, 2009 1:01 PM | Link to this
Has anyone figured out that the TV stations are not ready for the changeover yet. I have used antennas all my life. The TV stations are either not on the air half the time or they are broke. The analog signals still come through unless the station is not transmitting. Cincinnati is the same. The digital stations are not as powerful as the analog stations in most cases. 5, 9, 12, 19, 48, and 64 are the analog stations. So far, 5, 9, and 64 are reliable when they broadcast. 12, 19, and 48 are lost
By truthdetector
February 13, 2009 12:59 PM | Link to this
If the local stations have read the FCC rules, and are still saying today (February 13th) that they are going to terminate analog programming, how can the story that the FCC ordered them to delay the termination be accurate? The story says, “must stop the transition until further notice.” That doesn’t sound like an option.
By Bob540
February 13, 2009 12:48 PM | Link to this
When I heard the govt was running out of coupons, I wondered how many people ordered a coupon and then did not make the purchase before it expired in 90 days. I’ve heard a lot of people in-person and on media who said they did just that. Had people used the coupons issued, many more would be ready for the switch to digital and maybe there wouldn’t be so many people now waiting to get a coupon. This country wasn’t founded on people who have to be hand-held through every little thing.
By John
February 13, 2009 12:28 PM | Link to this
How long have they been advertising the switch? At least a year. The past two-three months you could not go 15 minutes without seeing, reading, or hearing about the upcoming switch. If people waited this long to get a converter box and found themselves not being able to get one, then they deserve to be without TV for awhile. And with everything else that is going on in the country, why is Obama worried about a very small percentage of the population that would not be able to watch tv?
By SpitBaby
February 13, 2009 12:19 PM | Link to this
This is the continued dumbing down of America. Look at an urban school district in Colorado. They are doing away with grade levels and grades because certain groups of people aren’t educatable. This all but guatantees a few more generations on welfare. When are we going to let the elite lead and the slow, dumb, and lazy just fail. We need trash collectors, ditch diggers, and pool cleaners. Look at Dayton. It will NEVER recover to it’s glory days, never. Too many uneducated, lazy entitlements.
By BCRez
February 13, 2009 12:05 PM | Link to this
Fine. NO problem, delay it. Then also delay the voting on this monstrosity of a “Stimulus Package” until 1) those voting on it actually get to READ it and 2) the Public gets a view of it. It’s all being done in secret and most, if not all, haven’t even seen a close-to-final draft of it. Change? R-i-g-h-t!!
By Dixie Lady
February 13, 2009 12:02 PM | Link to this
I agree- No matter how long you postpone the date there will still be procrastinators who are not ready. I currently have cable, but order my card and bought a converter box months ago. I’m not about to go out and buy a new TV when my current one suits my purposes. There really is not a whole lot worth watching on TV.
By Mark
February 13, 2009 12:01 PM | Link to this
Yes, I think they should delay the switch. If you’ve already got a converter box, your fine. This will offer help to those people who couldn’t get a converter box because the government ran out of coupon cards, and the people who couldn’t find a store that wasn’t sold out of the boxes. The only burden is on local stations to keep transmitting analog signal for for a few more months.
By Kitten
February 13, 2009 11:46 AM | Link to this
Does anyone realize that this has nothing to do with President Obama? This has to do with the procrastination on the part of us as Americans. These DTV units have been available as well as the coupons for quite sometime. For those who are able bodied and can afford the $10 at Wal-Mart, they should have purchased their units a long time ago. I applaud Channel 7 and James Brown for going door to door and providing those who were in need of the DTV box with the unit and installing it! Thank you!
By Wayne
February 13, 2009 11:45 AM | Link to this
PEOPLE it is TV, nothing more. The world will not end if you do not have it. This is not a big deal and with all the problems we have as a nation this should not be one of them. If you don’t have TV after the switch then go buy a converter or try to live without TV. TV it is not a necessity to have. They just need to make the switch and move on.
By poster
February 13, 2009 11:24 AM | Link to this
I requested my coupon as soon as they were available. You have 90 days to use it. So I checked a couple of places, found one at WalMart for 49.99, with the coupon I paid 9.99 for it. If my parents were still alive, my sister & I would have made sure they got a box if they needed it. How about watching out for the elderly among us, helping them understand what to do, how to get a box, hooking it up, etc?
By edg
February 13, 2009 11:18 AM | Link to this
The Author should read the FCC note, it does not say the stations must stop, only that they need to provide extra information to help with the transition because all the major stations in the Dayton market were still planning on ending Feb 17th. The 300 odd stations allowed to proceed were because one of the stations in the market was going along with the delay, so the lazy consumer would still get some signal. Doesn’t sound unreasonable to me. Hopefully the stations all still switch.
By Lew
February 13, 2009 11:03 AM | Link to this
The folks who are not ready today still won’t be ready in June. If we wait until everyone is ready it will never happen.In June we can have severe weather in this area. A fine time to find out your tv doesn’t work.
By Yea that's it play the "RACE" card!
February 13, 2009 11:02 AM | Link to this
Do you people have nothing else to pull out other then the race/black card everytime you are wrong on some issue! Stop sucking off of society. Get a job! Throw away your big old 1972 zenith floor tv. Maybe when you get your extra $15.00 a week from Osama Obama… aka can I get a witeness up in here; you will be able to buy a newer tv and not need the free govt coupon!
By ARB
February 13, 2009 10:59 AM | Link to this
EVERYONE has known about this for 2 years. If you have waited until the last minute to get your converter that is your problem. Quit playing the blame game and get it - if you need a converter, you probably already have an antenna - so use your coupon and get the box for free. And if you are on the waiting list for a coupon - again - your own fault for waiting so darn long. I applied for mine in December and got it with no problem. Next time, don’t wait til the last second.
By Kim
February 13, 2009 10:55 AM | Link to this
There will NEVER be a time when everyone is ready, so what difference does it make? If 2 years wasn’t enough - is another 4 months going to matter? I think not.
By Nice spelling -->gingerk2007@yahoo.com
February 13, 2009 10:54 AM | Link to this
Hey white chik or what ever your name is…whtcho??
Nice spelling you loser!
By Judi
February 13, 2009 10:50 AM | Link to this
Well, I can see the Repubs have succeeded in their attempts in dumbing down America. Obama is going to take the blame for everything wrong for the next 8 years. Progress is something to be avoided at all cost! We should never look out for anybody but ourselves! Education is a bad thing! ” I don’t know what the plan is, but I’m definitely against it..” Repubs never worried about my kids’ future when they ran the henhouse…
By Radioman991
February 13, 2009 10:41 AM | Link to this
Once again, the idiots win.
By Angry BBF
February 13, 2009 10:40 AM | Link to this
This is just another way for the white man to try and suppress the news to the inner city by forcing us to switch, the whole thing is a sham! I should get more on my government check for having to waste my day getting this box and setting it up!
By Fed Up
February 13, 2009 10:27 AM | Link to this
They annouced this transition to Digital back in February of 2006. Why do we again have to cater to the people who sit on the A** and do nothing to get ready for the change. No wonder why our country is behind on everything. We are not progressive enough to tell these people to get up and make a change. No, they will sit around, clooect welfare and think to themselves, “The Government will take care of me.” For Obama to sign a bill like this just irritates even more.
By TVSUX
February 13, 2009 10:26 AM | Link to this
TV SUCKS ANYHOW. IM TIRED OF FOX, TIRED OF OLD WHITE MEN. IT MAKES YOU FAT. TO HELL WITH ALL THE VARIOUS WAVE LENGHTS. THEYRE PROBABLY KILLING BRAIN CELLS ANYHOW WHEN WE COULD BE FINDING THE CURE FOR AIDS OR CANCER.
By JerichoJenny
February 13, 2009 10:23 AM | Link to this
The procrastinators who will not be ready by February 17 will NOT be ready in June. I have had my converter box on since October. The tv stations have done their job of getting the information out. If the stations delay the switch over, they may not be able to schedule the equipment changes for another year. It is the government that caused the problem by not making sure enough coupons were available. Why should the tv stations have to pay the price for the FCC’s mistakes????????
By Rob
February 13, 2009 10:16 AM | Link to this
I look forward to the day in 2087 when the last analog TV finally breaks and we’ll at long last be free to switch to digital.
By whtchoc
February 13, 2009 10:12 AM | Link to this
Well Rob the reason we in this mess is because of you REPLUBLICANS, well I’m DEM and proud of it I pay my taxes and I’m a hard a*s worker, so I guess you only think Republicans work well you wrong…..
By I hope you flamming liberals are happy!
February 13, 2009 10:11 AM | Link to this
Yea just another way of spreading the wealth around, Osama Obama; can I get a witeness up in here…. You people kill me. Just keep sucking off of society!
By Erica
February 13, 2009 10:09 AM | Link to this
America has to stop catering to the lowest common denominator. These people are slowing us down. They need a kick in the butt. Tomorrow is punch a liberal in the face day. Rejoice!
By Chris
February 13, 2009 10:04 AM | Link to this
I am glad to see that we are deadbeats, those who lost jobs, our poor, our elderly…..who by the way, have to spend enough on their own healthcare to make anyone go broke. If they continued the change over and a large scale natural disater occurred, think about how many MORE people may lose theirs lives, because they didn’t have access to one of the biggest ways of warning our communities. I am glad to see the delay so those who are not ready can get access to the proper equipment.
By amy
February 13, 2009 9:58 AM | Link to this
Regarding the set-tops and the coupons, the boxes have been available for years. No, they weren’t low-cost like they are today, but they were out there. The coupons have been available for a year now !! And any excuse about not being able to get one is bogus. The only people who weren’t able to get one are those who waited ‘til the last couple of months. Dozens of people I know applied last summer and got their coupons…
By Rob
February 13, 2009 9:57 AM | Link to this
Yet another moronic decision…but not surprising really. Catering to the dem base again.
Good thing there are still a couple of Republicans out there working. Somebody has to pay for all this mess.
By Reader
February 13, 2009 9:57 AM | Link to this
Congress gave a target date of Dec.31,2006.This date was set a full decade before in 1996.This was supposed to be switched over in 2006,and the government pushed it back to 2009 to give people more time.How much more do people need.Those that aren’t ready will need to be pushed into anyway.
By Stacy Law
February 13, 2009 9:54 AM | Link to this
JUDI: You are the fool. If evolution is true, none of this matters. Survival of the fittest, right? So let the poor organisms that can’t keep up become extinguished. Evolution doesn’t protect the weak link.
No one who is being “informed” by cannot also be “informed” by radio. And any claim about the “millions” of Americans affected by this TV issue only know what they’ve been told. Millions? I doubt it.
By Stacy Law
February 13, 2009 9:49 AM | Link to this
WTCHOC: You said, “The new government is doing a great job at making sure ALL American people is ready.”
ALL Americans? Baloney. All this does is teach the complacent ones that they can remain complacent - deadlines are not deadlines.
Caring: You said, “We have bigger problems in America and analog tv is not.” Exactly. He should have left this alone.
Imagine what this looks like when Obama starts in on electronic health records.
By COMPASSIONATE
February 13, 2009 9:46 AM | Link to this
IT REALLY IS SMART &KIND TO WAIT TO CHANGE TO DTV.SO AS TO KEEP ALL OUR CITIZENS INFORMED.IT’S NOT SO EASY FOR PEOPLE ON A FIXED INCOME OR UNEMPLOYED & OTHER SITUATIONS TO BUY THE NEW EQUIPMENT FOR THE CHANGE.EVEN WITH COUPONS.IT CAN STILL COST OR RETAILERS MAYBE OUT OF EQUIPMENT,INCLUDING NEW ANTENNA.THE BEST PROGRAM I’VE FOUND ON DTV IS BY”THIS OLD HOUSE” ON THINK-TV.
By JUDI
February 13, 2009 9:41 AM | Link to this
The people around here are just complete fools. (that’s why they’re still here). My mom is 89, and she’s never had cable…too many stations she doesn’t need. She doesn’t understand the concept of this TV antenna change. Several of her friends are in the same boat-we have to take care of it for her.There are probably lots of people around here that don’t have the money or don’t understand it either. I guess you guys are also the idiots who don’t believe in evolution.
By RATinA_CAGE
February 13, 2009 9:39 AM | Link to this
There are a significant number of Americans who can’t afford to buy new equipment and were promised coupons (there may be 40 million on the waiting list) by the last REP Gov’t. They ran out of coupons and many people are waiting to receive them—hey, another undelivered promise so thank you Pres. Obama! I called the FCC myself to object to the switch. I’m glad my voice was heard. This President was elected to serve the needs of the average American! Hooray!
By Bob Berry
February 13, 2009 9:39 AM | Link to this
I’ve had my converter box since they started promoting it. Why do we have to wait for these deadbeats to get theirs. TV stations have worked hard and spent money to get this thing up and running. Now it’s another case of “hurry up and wait”. But is this new age of TV really going to work? There’s still nothing worth watching after 8 pm anyway.
By craig
February 13, 2009 9:34 AM | Link to this
EVERYONE knew that this was going to get delayed in one form or another when they heard about it a few years ago. I would have bet so much $ on it. Hell i bet Vegas wouldn’t have even taken odds on it.
By Stacy Law
February 13, 2009 9:33 AM | Link to this
By the way, did anyone else notice that 123 of 491 is exactly 25%? I wonder if this ruling would have taken place if only 24% were deemed “significant risk”? Bet not. If that’s the case, just think what games will be played with the Census.
By Caring
February 13, 2009 9:32 AM | Link to this
Come on people have a heart! Just because some people are not ready for the transition does not make them DEADBEATS! I work with the elderly and many of the them do not have the money to pay for the converter box or they just do not understand what is about to take place. I think it is a good decision and I praise Obama for making it happen! Just because the transition has been delayed does not mean the world is going to come to an END! We have bigger problems in America and analog tv is not.
By confused
February 13, 2009 9:30 AM | Link to this
i thought we voted for change.
By WHTCHOC
February 13, 2009 9:30 AM | Link to this
Well sounds like to me you all have issues with our new president well suck it up he the man now. And first off if Obama let the digital go as follows then you would have issue with that, maybe someone you might know has no tv because they ran out of coupons but then again you are proboaly one of these rich asses that think there poop dont stink. The new government is doing a great job at making sure ALL American people is ready.
By Stacy Law
February 13, 2009 9:28 AM | Link to this
Well THIS will really help the job situation, won’t it? All those tower jockey’s with scheduled work have nothing to do now.
So we have a president whose priorities are 1) moving the Census to the White House and 2) delaying digital TV.
Wow.
By Tom
February 13, 2009 9:19 AM | Link to this
Definitely not!! The deadbeats who aren’t ready for the change now, will not be ready when the new date rolls around. There will always be someone with an excuse as to why they couldn’t change to digital reception, no matter when.
By reader
February 13, 2009 9:11 AM | Link to this
NO! For 2 years, they’ve been told “be ready by Feb. 17”. They did what they were told, made their plans - and now are told they CAN’T make the switch on that day??? If you haven’t heard about the switch by now, you probably don’t watch TV anyway. And as far as being harmed by not having access to TV, that’s crazy! There are still radios (which, if they have batteries, work during power outages when TVs don’t work) for news & weather bulletins, and you can get a radio for lots less than a TV!
By l Berry
February 13, 2009 9:07 AM | Link to this
This is just another example of how Czar Obama is screwing up America. He is trying to steal the Census, he is giving expower to National Security Agency (NSA) which was created as a advisary committee. That sounds like the Gustapo of Nazi fame. He has proposed a separate Police Force under his direct control. He has tried to appoint several of his crooked pals who have cheated on taxes or otherwise broke our laws. Wake up America, he is spending our grandchildren’s money.
By DTV
February 13, 2009 8:55 AM | Link to this
One wonders if the FCC is willing to pony-up any of the hundred’s of thousands of dollars it will cost EACH of those stations? Hey, Obama can pay for it out of the $1.2 trillion he’s getting.
These stations all worked in good faith, spent millions of dollars to be prepared to switch over. Now that they’re prepared (because the government told them to) the NEW government has decided that IT’s not ready.