NTIA: Wait List For DTV Coupons Keeps Growing
3.27 million requests now on the list
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/28/2009 7:41:07 PM
With the DTV transition date looking more like it may stick at Feb. 17, and no government action yet on clearing up the DTV-to-analog converter-box coupon problems, the wait list for coupon applications continues to grow.
According to National Telecommunications & Information Administration figures to be released Friday, there are now 3.27 million such requests on the list.
NTIA has reached its funding limit, which means it can't send out coupons until others expire and free up more money. But more requests are coming in each day than coupons are expiring, which created the waiting list that has been growing since the agency met its $1.34B funding cap at the beginning of this month.
It still has the money to fund and distribute the coupons, but due to accounting rules it can only access that money as expired coupons free it up.
The economic stimulus bill passed in the House Wednesday, which provides $650 million for the coupons and other DTV education, but that bill hasn't passed the Senate yet and probably won't until mid-February.
If the hard date holds, Congress will have to do something before that. Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) has introduced a bill to fix the accounting problem and free up the funds.
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3.3 Million and we all know who you are. These are the same people that had the lights on into the wee hours of the morning on Monday drafting that term paper that is due first period. These are the same people that mail their holiday gifts and cards on December 26. These are the same people who wait until the cancer reaches stage 3 before they finally decide to go to the doctor. Personal responsibility people - it is not society's job to fix stupid!
Quigley Spargus - 1/30/2009 7:58:38 AM EST -
I have read that alot of coupons have expired and will not be used at all.
Why not use the moneys not used for those and transisition that amount towards new coupons.
Of course the ones responsible for this will not even meet until after Feb. 17th has passed, so nothing can be done on time.
It is not that the stores are short of boxes. Best Buy have them laid out in their stores in large amounts!
htrice - 1/29/2009 12:56:32 PM EST -
One dirty little secret not mentioned in any articles I've read about this problem is that many people who are digital-ready and have no need for the converter boxes are still applying for the coupons and giving them to their friends and neighbors who want more than their allotted two. This means there are fewer coupons available for the households that really need them.
Mikki Beno - 1/29/2009 12:55:12 PM EST
NTIA Wants to Tap Administrative Funds
09/15/2008DTV Coupon Wait-List Tops 2.5 Million
01/22/2009NTIA: DTV Coupon Funds Could Run Out
09/21/2008NTIA Confirms It Is Processing Coupons
03/05/2009
