BSAT Is NTIA’s First Certified Online DTV-Converter Retailer

Elmhurst, Ill.-Based E-tailer Added to National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s DTV2009.gov Site

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/22/2008 2:03:00 PM

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration authorized its first online retailer for digital-TV-to-analog converter boxes.

That's compared with the more than 615 brick-and-mortar retailers representing more than 16,000 stores.

Elmhurst, Ill.-based BSAT is a member of the Consumer Electronics Association and specializes in new and used electronics equipment from U.S. and offshore manufacturers, according to its Web site.

A link to BSAT was added to the NTIA's DTV2009.gov site. Surfers are advised to go to BSAT's e-shop for online orders, although the NTIA is planning to certify at least four more e-tailers.

According to spokesman Todd Sedmak, the NTIA aims to send out 300,000 coupons by the end of this week, with an eventual goal of 900,000 per week. So far, it has received almost 3.2 million applications for more than 6 million coupons since the program launched Jan. 1, he added.

The NTIA began sending out the coupons Monday, one year before the Feb. 18, 2009, dawn of the digital age, at least for the full-power TV stations required to be broadcasting all-digital at the time.

The converter boxes will allow viewers with analog-only TV sets to still receive over-the-air signals from those full power stations after the digital switch.

The coupons expire in 90 days, but the NTIA is gathering information for Congress on what it would take to allow people to reapply for them. Currently, when they expire, they can't be reapplied for, the NTIA said, but some in Congress are worried that this could leave some procrastinating viewers in the dark or not give early adopters a chance to buy low-cost converter boxes that won't be widely available until June.

While the boxes are now retailing at $50-$70, EchoStar Communications said it will introduce a box at $39.99 (each coupon is worth $40 and households can apply for up to two).

For those keeping track of orders outside of the continental United States, here is the rundown: Puerto Rico sent in 46,500 applications for nearly 91,000 coupons; Guam submitted 20 applications for 37 coupons; and American Samoa -- which doesn't have any certified retailers and will welcome the BSAT addition -- submitted five applications for 10 coupons.