Obama worried millions won't watch TV

[SavetheWest]

This is one of the most outrageous things ever. 

First the wireless industry bribes Congress and the White House to switch everyone over from analog to digital and the government makes $19 million from the auctions. This also lets companies know what programs you're wathcing btw. (Ever wonder why they made you switch from analog to digital on your cell phone....hmmmm)  Then, it costs $2 billion to give coupons to Americans who need converter boxes to switch over.  Never mind the potential massive fraud with a gift card program, where half these things could wind up on Ebay or Craigslist.  It turns out all $2 billion is gone, so Obama not only wants more $$$ for the program but wants to change the date for all the morons who haven't seen the 8 billion commercials, programs adds, etc.  Either these people don't want or care about tv and it's a good thing they might not watch tv anymore.  We should pay for blacks in Chicago to watch more of the Steve Wilkos show? These programs make people less intelligent and they indoctrinate people.  If they suddenly read or get cable, oops, they might think about things a bit.
This really gets me upset and now Obama wants more $ for more fraud!!!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-dtv_frijan09,0,659084.story

Delay switch to all-digital TV, Obama asks Congress
Shortage of converter-box coupons cited
By Jim Puzzanghera and Christi Parsons | Washington Bureau
January 9, 2009
WASHINGTON — Moving to avert a TV blackout that could strike millions of U.S. households, President-elect Barack Obama asked Congress on Thursday to delay next month's planned switch to all-digital broadcast television.

The government-mandated conversion on Feb. 17, hailed as the biggest advance in over-the-air TV since the advent of color, was supposed to highlight new technology that offers sharper pictures and more free viewing options while opening up valuable airwaves for public safety and wireless Internet access.

Instead, the switch is highlighting poor government planning and bureaucratic shortcomings.

While making $19.6 billion by auctioning off the freed-up airwaves last year to telecommunications companies to offer new wireless services, Congress allocated less than $2 billion to assure a smooth transition to digital TV.


Following the President-elect's run Video In a letter to key members of Congress on Thursday, John Podesta, co-chairman of Obama's presidential transition team, said the conversion should be delayed. He did not specify how long the delay should be.

"With coupons unavailable, support and education insufficient, and the most vulnerable Americans exposed, I urge you to consider a change to the legislatively-mandated analog cutoff date," Podesta wrote to the chairmen and top Republicans on the Senate Commerce Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

While a delay is far from certain—given potential opposition from broadcasters, public safety agencies and telecommunications companies eager to start using the expensive new airwaves—there was plenty of frustration Thursday with the way the digital TV transition has been run.

"The list of who's to blame is long," said Joel Kelsey, a policy analyst with Consumers Union, a longtime critic of the digital TV transition that also called for a delay this week. "It was a giant miscalculation by our federal government."

Congress decided in 2005 to require all TV stations to broadcast only in digital. People with cable, satellite or phone company TV services will continue to receive broadcast stations. But those who rely on antennas must have either a newer TV with a digital receiver or get a converter box.

No-frills versions of those boxes cost $40 to $70. To offset the expense, the federal government allocated $1.5 billion to provide households with up to two $40 coupons.

But on Monday, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced that the program had run out of money. The government agency has a waiting list of about 1.1 million coupon requests, which can slowly be filled as unused coupons reach their 90-day expiration.

Still, an estimated 7.7 million households nationwide are facing the prospect of paying $40 to $70 each for full-price converter boxes or lose TV service. About 229,000 of those homes are in the Chicago market, according to Nielsen Co.

A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the relevant committees were working with Obama's transition team to solve the problems.

But some Republicans said that Obama was needlessly panicking when all Congress needs to do is make small legislative fixes.

"We don't need to bail out the DTV transition program because it isn't failing, and reintroducing uncertainty to the switch will make things worse instead of better," said Rep. Joe Barton (R- Texas).

The National Association of Broadcasters was cautious in its response Thursday, saying it was willing to work with Obama and Congress "to ensure a successful DTV transition." And News Corp., which owns 27 broadcast stations, said it supported any efforts to make the transition a success.

[Xoce]

Remember the story of Little Red Riding Hood, when the wolf dressed up as the grandmother?

Question:  Why does Obama have such big ears?
Answer:  "The better to hear you with, my dear.

Question:  Why is Obama so concerned about millions without TVs?
"The better to brainwash you with, my dear.

And...
When the government can not be relied upon to make a smooth TV transition, how in the world is it supposed to be relied upon to say, thwart a terrorist attack or handle health care or education?

[muman613]

I am all for the switch to digital TV. I work in the industry {Have been in digital video for almost 20 years now}. I dont know what the fuss is. Nobody is forcing you to watch the programs. I have 900 stations on my digital cable and I only watch 2 or 3. I think that the advantages of digital broadcasting and digital display far outnumber any problems. It is true that those who like to steal programming may have more difficulty. It is true that they will be able to keep track of how many times you watch a film because you will be able to buy licenses to watch them. You can still own your own discs and create your own material {far easier than with the old video cameras and recorders}.

Digital displays are far more convenient and environmentally friendly than that old CRT. I have no more CRTs in my house and all my computers and TVs are now flat screens. It is barking at the moon to think there is something sinister about the switch to digital.

Screen prices are coming down. Most people already have cable and they wont suffer any loss of stations due to the switch. There is nothing to fear about this and I think some people are over-reacting.

PS: I hope Obama has nothing to do with anything involving technology. Maybe he should leave it to Al Gorge...

[SavetheWest]

I am all for the switch to digital TV. I work in the industry {Have been in digital video for almost 20 years now}. I dont know what the fuss is. Nobody is forcing you to watch the programs. I have 900 stations on my digital cable and I only watch 2 or 3. I think that the advantages of digital broadcasting and digital display far outnumber any problems. It is true that those who like to steal programming may have more difficulty. It is true that they will be able to keep track of how many times you watch a film because you will be able to buy licenses to watch them. You can still own your own discs and create your own material {far easier than with the old video cameras and recorders}.

Digital displays are far more convenient and environmentally friendly than that old CRT. I have no more CRTs in my house and all my computers and TVs are now flat screens. It is barking at the moon to think there is something sinister about the switch to digital.

Screen prices are coming down. Most people already have cable and they wont suffer any loss of stations due to the switch. There is nothing to fear about this and I think some people are over-reacting.

PS: I hope Obama has nothing to do with anything involving technology. Maybe he should leave it to Al Gorge...

My main problem is with the fraud potential.  All you have to do is enter your address and they will send you $80.00 in gift cards.  You know these will end up on Ebay and the fact that $2 billion got burned up shows that something is not right.  Many of the cards may expire so they can take that money back and put it towards the program. Obama still wants billions more for the program before this happens and for what?  For people mainly in the inner cities who switch the channel when the public announcement comes on and will have their TV's swicthed off? It's a good thing for people in the inner cities not to have TV.  If TV goes dark, then they may read (gasp) or go to full cable.  The danger is that Obama's reliable base may be exposed to things like Fox News or the Christian channels if they get cable.  That's one of the reasons behind it.  Also, I don't think it's good if they know what you're watching...it's like 1984.  Finally, the fact that taxpayers get $19 million from the wireless companies in exchange for $2 billion in just inital costs of the switchover is outrageous!

[muman613]

I am all for the switch to digital TV. I work in the industry {Have been in digital video for almost 20 years now}. I dont know what the fuss is. Nobody is forcing you to watch the programs. I have 900 stations on my digital cable and I only watch 2 or 3. I think that the advantages of digital broadcasting and digital display far outnumber any problems. It is true that those who like to steal programming may have more difficulty. It is true that they will be able to keep track of how many times you watch a film because you will be able to buy licenses to watch them. You can still own your own discs and create your own material {far easier than with the old video cameras and recorders}.

Digital displays are far more convenient and environmentally friendly than that old CRT. I have no more CRTs in my house and all my computers and TVs are now flat screens. It is barking at the moon to think there is something sinister about the switch to digital.

Screen prices are coming down. Most people already have cable and they wont suffer any loss of stations due to the switch. There is nothing to fear about this and I think some people are over-reacting.

PS: I hope Obama has nothing to do with anything involving technology. Maybe he should leave it to Al Gorge...

My main problem is with the fraud potential.  All you have to do is enter your address and they will send you $80.00 in gift cards.  You know these will end up on Ebay and the fact that $2 billion got burned up shows that something is not right.  Many of the cards may expire so they can take that money back and put it towards the program. Obama still wants billions more for the program before this happens and for what?  For people mainly in the inner cities who switch the channel when the public announcement comes on and will have their TV's swicthed off? It's a good thing for people in the inner cities not to have TV.  If TV goes dark, then they may read (gasp) or go to full cable.  The danger is that Obama's reliable base may be exposed to things like Fox News or the Christian channels if they get cable.  That's one of the reasons behind it.  Also, I don't think it's good if they know what you're watching...it's like 1984.  Finally, the fact that taxpayers get $19 million from the wireless companies in exchange for $2 billion in just inital costs of the switchover is outrageous!

I have come to the conclusion that absolute privacy is a thing of the past. I am not without blemishes and should fear the goverment but since I have grown older, law enforcement has been leaving me alone. I do want our government to be on the lookout for terrorists. This does require them to be able to listen into our cellphone conversations. I look at the records which have come out from India, about the phone logs which prove that the terrorists had help from Pakistan. I am sure that similar logs are kept here and in the event of a criminal prosecution those records can be turned over to authorities.

I hardly watch anything which is on cable today because most all of it offends my sensibilities. I watch News, old tv shows on TVLand, sometimes a sci-fi movie on the sci-fi channel, old Twilight Zone episodes or ST_TOS. I doubt the government is worried about me watching these shows. Luckily my cable company carries Shalom TV which is Jewish and mostly pro-Israel. I do watch it on-demand from time to time. I dont think they will come breaking down my doors for watching that.

I hear your concerns and they are mostly good points.