The Even Longer Goodbye

Somebody should even now be writing a song for Bruce Springsteen about the delay of the DTV transition date so he can belt it out at the Super Bowl halftime show.

If not, how about revising an old song with some new lyrics. Maybe "57 Channels (And They’re Still On)." Or how about "DTV, Aint Got You Yet," or  "The Even Longer Goodbye." Or pick your own from the following list.

Point being that if the Feb. 17 date is pushed back to June or so, as is the buzz in this town, it is more important than ever that the government and broadcasters put a huge spotlight on the change, like, say the Super Bowl halftime show. They should have all along planned to take a couple minutes at halftime for the "DTV For Dummies" (pretend there is that little "r in a circle" register mark after this, I can’t find it on the keyboard) version of a DTV Education seminar, telling people everything they always wanted to know about DTV but were afraid to admit they had to ask.

B&C’s PJ Bednarski has been pushing that as a "no-brainer" around here for months.

Fortunately, Barack Obama’s super-marketers can be enlisted, since the administration will be taking ownership of whatever the new date is. "A New DTV Transition Date: Change We Can Believe In."

The call for delay last week smacked to some of panic, but frankly, in this economy, panic may be the new "rational." Think of it more like radical new thinking in the face of changed circumstances. Or think of it as mission not yet accomplished.