There's a bill that was passed a little while back that will require all TV stations to air digital broadcasts exclusively by 2010, formally retiring the "bunny ears" era of TV reception. However, one question that's still under question is how people without cable or satellite will be able to watch TV.

The idea that seems to have prevailed is to award coupons to the necessary people that can be redeemed for a free digital converter boxes, which could end up being needed for close to 40 million TVs and cost the government close to a billion dollars. Those who are eligible would need to apply for a coupon sometime between 2008 and March 2009, and would have a maximum value of $40, which will be more than enough to cover the cost of most converter boxes. However, no matter how many TVs you have, you'd only be able to get 2 coupons per house.

Also still a possibility is that the coupons would only be distributed to low-income families, but the unfair burden that puts on other non-digital-TV customers would probably elicit many complaints.

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Report Published by: Mark Raby