HTSA Sides with Obama, Suggests Delaying DTV Transition

The Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA) is siding with president-elect Barack Obama, suggesting that the Feb. 17 DTV transition be delayed until June 1, 2009.

HTSA believes a short-term delay is in the best interest of consumers. One of the problems is that the Commerce Department is running out of money to subsidize DTV converter box coupons.

"An extra three and a half months will allow more time for the government to work through issues with the coupon program and get converter boxes to the people who need them," says Richard Glikes, executive director of HTSA.

"This extra time will prevent any missteps that might occur once the analog TV transmissions are stopped."

HTSA's response may be a bit surprising as Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, wrote a letter to the Obama transition team offering these alternatives to delaying the DTV transition:

1. A fix of the accounting issues such as the anti-deficiency rules that are preventing NTIA from sending out coupons despite available funding. Only 19 million of the 33.5 million available coupons have been redeemed.
2. Examine total funding for the coupon program and explore any need for additional funding, for example, to send coupons out via first class mail to eliminate three week delivery delays.
3. Elimination of the 90-day expiration date on coupons, which would put more coupons into use.
4. Explore additional funding for government call centers and funding to local grassroots groups to answer questions about the DTV transition.
5. Should the government determine that the supply of converter boxes will not meet demand, examine permitting use of converter box coupons to purchase access to digital television either through pay service (cable, satellite or fiber) or credit toward purchase of a limited feature or low cost digital television.

In the letter, which is on behalf of the 2,200 manufacturers and retailers represented by the CEA, Shapiro says the CEA "will support the new administration and Congress to ensure a consumer-friendly DTV transition and implement any necessary changes."