Congressman Gregory Meeks Votes For Digital TV Delay Act

(WASHINGTON, DC)–Today, Congressman Gregory Meeks voted for the legislation S. 352, The Digital TV Delay Act, which will postpone the switch from analog to digital television from February 17, 2009 to June 12, 2009 and also provide additional time to get coupons for Converter Boxes to Millions of Households on waiting lists. The purpose of the bill’s provisions providing for this delay is to provide more time to get coupons for the digital TV converter boxes to the millions of American households that are still on the waiting list.

The Digital TV Delay bill will prevent Americans from seeing their televisions “go dark” on February 18, 2009, which will disproportionately impact low-income, rural and elderly Americans. According to the Nielsen Company there is estimation that there will be 6.5 million households (6 percent) that will lose all TV reception if the February deadline remains in place. The Commerce Department estimates that more than 2 million households are currently on a waiting list to receive almost 3.7 million coupons to help them buy digital TV converter boxes.

The Senate first passed the DTV Delay bill (S. 328) on January 26, 2009, but on January 28, 2009 a vote of 258-168 of House Republicans successfully blocked this bill when it was brought up under suspension of the rules( requiring a two-thirds vote). On January 29, 2009 the Senate passed a slightly modified version of the bill (S. 352), including certain new language. Some TV stations will shut off their analog feeds before June, and some public safety officials want to operate their radio systems on those channels as soon as they are vacated. The new language would grant those officials with the appropriate licenses the authority to use those airwaves without further approval from the FCC.

S.352, the DTV Delay Act, will help mitigate anticipated challenges for consumers posed by the digital television (DTV) transition.

The Following are some of the Key provisions of this Senate passed bill (S.352):

• Delays the transition by 115 days and extend the license terms of the commercial and public safety entities that will use the DTV spectrum after the transition by a corresponding number of days.
• Permits consumers who never redeemed coupons to apply for replacement coupons, while ensuring that no household can redeem more than two coupons.
• Expressly preserves broadcasters’ ability to transition before the new transition date, if such a move does not interfere with another broadcast signal. The Act makes clear that the existing FCC rules and regulations concerning interference and consumer education will continue to apply.
• Expressly preserves the ability of public safety entities to use the DTV spectrum before the new transition date, subject to existing FCC rules.

“I am pleased to have supported this legislation that will prevent households from going dark and will also provide protection to households that need adequate resources to offset the costs of purchasing converter boxes. We are currently two weeks away from the February 17th date to switch from analog-to-digital television and there are more than 1.8 million households on a waiting list to receive 3.3 million coupons to assist with the cost of buying digital television sets with the Commerce Department lacking in funding to support these requests. My colleagues and I will do everything in our power to make sure that the transition goes smoothly and that there is enough funding to accommodate consumer requests,” stated Congressman Gregory Meeks.

Now serving in his sixth full-term, Meeks was elected to the House on February 3, 1998. Representing New York's Sixth Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, Meeks' district covers all towns of Southeast Queens, Far Rockaway and Howard Beach. He is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Meeks became Chairman of the International Monetary Policy Subcommittee in 2009 under the House Financial Services Committee. Meeks is a Member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), New Democrats Caucus and the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC). He serves as the Co-chair of the Malaysia Caucus, Services Caucus, Dialogue Caucus and the Middle East Economic Partnership Caucus.