Baker: NTIA Can Allow Reapplication for Coupons
Acting National Telecommunications and Information Administration Head Meredith Attwell Baker: Agency Has Authority to Allow Consumers to Reapply for DTV-to-Analog Converter-Box Coupons
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/8/2008 1:55:00 PM
Acting National Telecommunications and Information Administration head Meredith Attwell Baker said Thursday that the NTIA has the authority to allow consumers to reapply for digital-TV-to-analog converter-box coupons, which expire after 90 days.
A group of senators sent her a letter this week suggesting that the NTIA should allow for reapplication, as well as for viewers to use the coupons for converter boxes that weren't yet on the shelves. The first converter-box coupons issued begin expiring in the next several weeks.
At a Federal Communications Commission press conference to announce the FCC-backed Wilmington, N.C., DTV test market -- commercial stations are pulling the plug early -- Baker said the NTIA would not have to go back to Congress to get the authority to extend the expiration date or reissue the coupons. “We can change it," she added, "but there would have to be a notice and comment period."
Asked whether she planned to change the rules, she would only say that the NTIA was asked to look at it "as soon as some of our redemption data comes in." The agency wants to see how many people are redeeming the coupons out of those who requested them.
Baker said the NTIA was working with the FCC and retailers to make sure that Wilmington had enough DTV-to-analog converter boxes available. She added that 5% of the market applied for some 23,000 coupons, with more than 30 Wilmington-area stores supplying the boxes.
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I applied for my 2 coupons very early in the process and my coupons expired June 2008. When I went to the stores to use them no boxes were on the shelves yet and the two I did find were basic boxes that didn't offer the options of boxes I had read about. I never found better boxes during that time frame.
Now I'd like to use my coupons but they're expired. What are we suppose to do? It's not my fault that boxes were not being offered when I received my coupons.
Barry Seybert - 1/30/2009 4:31:47 AM EST -
After 7 months they still have made up their minds yet! I do not expect them to resolve the economic crises which is far more complicated than the coupon program.
coupons expired: 12,463,130
coupons redeemed: 16,828,669
What a shame.
!! - 12/18/2008 12:40:00 AM EST -
NTIA's mission is carried out by the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information who administers five major program offices. Through the Secretary of Commerce, the Assistant Secretary is the President's principal adviser on telecommunications policy.
* Meredith Attwell Baker, Acting Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information
MBaker@ntia.doc.gov
I think Ms. Baker needs to hear from citizens, so that she might avoid further mishandling of this issue.
Tony Riga - 5/25/2008 6:55:00 PM EDT -
My coupons expire tomorrow!!
Bush can waste 3 trillion on killing people like Iraq, but cant let us get advanced boxes wit digital and HD output. Hell these boxes are banned from having component outputs, but my analog TV has component out puts.
BUSH hates Science and Technology, thats why he wants the POOR to get primitve DTV Boxes.
My coupons expire tomorrow!!
jill mola - 5/24/2008 4:03:00 AM EDT -
For god's sake, Make up your mind NOW!!!, Extend or eliminate the darn expiration date. There are coupons that are expiring in the next few day.
This is such a scam, they claim there are limited coupons, then when you apply, there is no box avaiable or very very limited, then you find out that not all your favorite stores takes coupon... another government scam.
X - 5/21/2008 2:16:00 AM EDT
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