NTIA: 319,990 Coupon Requests Thursday

Number of requests is more than three times daily average of previous month

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/12/2009 10:08:21 AM

According to the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, there was a big spike in DTV-to-analog converter box subsidy coupon requests Thursday, though it only placed tenth in the list of biggest one-day requests.

NTIA said it received 319,990 requests according to preliminary data, compared to an average daily order of 114,272 as of June 10.

The average for the last 30 days before Thursday was 91,215, and for the previous week, again not counting Thursday's spike, was 126,663.

NITA has $1.93 billion to spend on the coupons. Of that 83%, or about $1.5 billion, is committed, which means it has already been spent on coupons that have either been redeemed or have been sent out but have not been redeemed or expired. That leaves about $320 million available, though that number changes as more requests come in or coupons expire.

The DTV hard date was moved in part to provide $650 billion to the coupon program to make sure it had enough funds to cover everyone who wanted a $40 coupon (two per household).