DTV coupons: more coming soon, says NTIA
Flush with a cash infusion from Congress, the stalled government coupon program to help consumers purchase digital-to-analog converter boxes is back in business.
The program, which allows households to receive two $40 coupons, ran out of money in early January. Since then, applicants have been placed on a waiting list that has swelled to more than 4 million.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration says it will be able to unclog the program quickly now that it has the new funding. The agency predicts the backlog will be cleared within three weeks unless there is a rush of new applications. Coupon requests slowed over the past month, dropping from 203,000 on Jan. 26 to 33,000 requests on March 3.
If new applications come in more quickly than anticipated, NTIA says it will give households dependent on over-the-air broadcasting top priority, moving those requests to the front of the line. Households that also have some type of paid TV service can request coupons but won't get them until those with only antenna reception have been taken care of.
It's still unclear how expired coupons will be handled. Rules on that part of the program are still being crafted. Of the almost 49 million coupons mailed as of March 4, 2009, more than 16 million—roughly one-third—expired before being used.
The stimulus bill signed into law a few weeks ago included $650 million to help revive the coupon program. Separate legislation moved the date for full-power television stations to discontinue analog broadcasts to June 12th, several months past the original from February 17th deadline. More than 600 stations have already gone to all-digital, but the bulk of the nation's nearly 1,800 stations have yet to cut their analog signals.
Consumers who have older, analog-only televisions will need a converter box to continue receiving free, over-the-air television once their local stations cut off their analog signals. Most boxes cost $50 to $80. For more, see our free Ratings and guide to digital converter boxes.
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