Can anyone think of a good reason why the GOP would oppose putting off the transition to digital tv? ?
August 17, 2010 by: nickadminI had to laugh when I saw this. What possible reason could there be for not allowing the delay to give people more time to buy converters? The only one I can think of is that it will help businesses sell more converters sooner if it is not delayed. Other than that, it just seems like they voted against it because Democrats proposed it. This is why you lost guys. I am not trying to be a dick, but stuff like this makes it look like you value businesses over people who will be forced to buy these converters when they are already strapped for cash. IT was even stated in this article that a concern is that it would put a strain on tv stations who have been preparing for the switchover. Uh….who gives a f–k? I’m pretty sure NBC and CBS will make it through.
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu5sIGINJLbYA9aBXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTBybjFrcjVnBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDNARjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkAw–/SIG=12f0fvje7/EXP=1233414536/**http%3a//www.mercurynews.com/businessbreakingnews/ci_11471535
I’m sorry but it’s time to move on to digital. If you haven’t done so by now, it’s your own fault.
Yes. For example, It will cost PBS millions of dollars to delay it. They have contracts set to expire on the original date and will have to re-sign new contracts that they hadn’t planned. And they have new contracts that start on the original date that they cannot back out of. Is TV really a priority right now? If you are still watching analog TV maybe TV should be low on your list of priorities.
Use your head. Do you really think the GOP just wants to oppose it for craps and giggles? Come on.
The gov’t already gave coupons for the converter boxes. People have had plenty of time to convert or buy a new TV by now. What is the point of extending it? Will the extra time make them save the money when they couldn’t or wouldn’t before? And is TV a necessity? Is the gov’t’s job it ensure its citizens have TV?
Well, I think the conversion should have been delayed until June, so that more people could be prepared. However, I’ve heard that the Republicans’ argument was that it would cost TV stations more money. (I guess it should come as no surprise that it would all boil down to business interests!)
probably because we’ve (taxpayers) have already spent millions on this, and every local TV station in America has been doing countdowns and reports on this, and if you’re not up to speed yet, it is NOT the government’s fault.
If the government waited for every clueless person to get on board, we would NEVER go digital!
screw just do it already, originally supposed to be done in 2006, TV is not that important it is a luxury.
I can’t think of any reason. It’s called progress.
There is a shortage of the coupons they were sending out to the elderly that would make the boxes free or nearly free and the poor and the elderly are mainly the ones that need these converter boxes so in the event of an emergency they can still get their warnings until they catch up to the demand for the coupons. I really wish you would have done some research before you spouted off some Republican bashing and I disagree with you you are trying to be a dick.
I’m probably the farthest thing from being conservative, but common. How many months/years has it been since we first got the notice? How long has those switch to Digital TV commercials been airing non-stop?
One usually appears as they are…They have had nearly a decade to prepare for this…if the morons had spent less time in front of the tv and more time using their brains, it wouldn’t even be an issue. It has nothing to do with company profits, the industry has been ready for some time. Please find another lunatic cause to rant about.
We have had several years to prepare for the switch to digital. How much more friggin time do the morons need to get their pathetic acts together to make the necessary adjustments? And you are acting like a d!ck, whether you think you are or not.
How long have people been warned that on February 17 2009 this would be taking place? Over a year and a half I can remember seeing commercials.
Why haven’t they gotten themselves ready yet?
Seriously?
It is getting ridiculous and we just need to move on with digital and leave those behind that can’t pull it together.
I personally think you are a dick. That is the only thing I agree with in your so-called question. Everyone in the US…repeat, everyone!…has had more than enough time to prepare for the switch over. To delay because some Democrat voters are too stupid to get with the program would have been costly to everyone.
Personally, I am sick, sick and sick of watching public service announcements about the switch over. Those of us who have cable or satellite service should not have to be burdened by Democrat voters who are too stupid or too cheap to buy cable or satellite service.
They’ve been talking about it and informing the public at an incredibly ridiculous level. They’ve been running banners across the screen since last summer. If folks haven’t gotten a converter box by now, they need more help than this government can provide. A LOT went into this ‘cut over’ and there is absolutely no sense in spending another minute or another dime on it. In fact, doing so would be irresponsible.
And there in you have the difference. For once the Republicans are being responsible. Revel in it. Do not criticize it.
“What possible reason could there be for not allowing the delay to give people more time to buy converters?”
It’s only been known for the last 10 years that this switch was taking place.
AT&T and Verizon have paid billions to license this spectrum for broadcasts and they are expecting to have it in February, renegotiating that date is kind of unfair to them (on a side note, they agreed to comply if congress were to postpone it).
The 9-11 commission mandated that an improved communications infrastructure be developed, and this spectrum is the best fit for that task.
1) Delaying the conversion will force certain businesses to postpone steps they planned on for the conversion, costing them money,
2) The delay will do nothing except have the same people squawking 6 months from now that they need another extension,
3) People have known about this changeover for months and have had ample opportunity to get the converter boxes,
4) The converter boxes are free and paid for by the government.
“The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) are now issuing coupons for DTV converter boxes. Households may apply for up to two coupons, which must be redeemed within 90 days. The coupons cannot be combined to purchase a single converter box, nor can they be used toward the purchase of other products.”
Yes, I can think of a excellent one, Because millions of households are not equipped for the transition yet, Not that not watching the smut on TV for awhile would hurt them, They could get rid of TV tomorrow and I wouldn’t care. God bless.
They have only had three years to do so. but I guess that was not enough time to get to walmart.
After their policies have created millions of homeless and out of work people, the Republicans now want to take away the only source of media–and emergency news that the impoverished people they left behind in all their schemes to make their millionaire constituents into billionaires !!!
But what ELSE would you expect from the same party that is obstructing the rebuilding of America —–primarily because they LOST
What I can’t fathom is that there are people who up till last week were still clueless about the switch. Come on, they’ve only been announcing it for over a year now.
The Republican’s objections are not as simple as you would like to make believe, but I suspect you knew that.
Can you think of a good reason why 3 years of being told to get ready for the the conversion is not enough? Should more tax dollars be spent on stragglers who probably wouldn’t do it until they realize they have to anyway? This is exactly why our country is in trouble, wasting money on idiots and whiners. Dumping good money into lost causes.
Yeah, it’s ridiculous. First off, the government shouldn’t be able to mandate such a thing to begin with. It’s simply for the benefit of corporations and probably so they can more easily know what we are watching on T.V.
The only people who need the converter boxes are people with analog TVs and without cable or satellite. There have already been many more coupons passed out than there are people who fit into this category. The warning has been out there since most of the people here were in diapers.
This coupon program was just another hand-out gone awry.
Want another example? The child healthcare bill that Republicans opposed. The existing legislation already covered more children than fit the category. They weren’t getting enough people to sign-up. When Democrats tried to extend the program, Bush said he would veto because it would be extending a program that was already under-utilized. Democrats then said he wanted to kill babies.
So maybe you’re not a d**k, but you could use a little more research time and a little less ideology.