FCC approves 368 of 491 stations switching off analog Tuesday
By Richard Lawler 
posted February 12th 2009 6:49PM
posted February 12th 2009 6:49PM
In the daily DTV transition update, the FCC saw fit to hold up 123 of 491 stations planning to shut off analog TV on February 17, based on factors like whether or not there would be any stations still available in a given market. Those 123 can still make a case for going all digital by tomorrow evening, so even this list is not the final one. As it is, 368 stations are definitely making the switch, but with 5 days to go we still don't have a complete list of who is doing what, when, so stay tuned (if you can.)
Something tells me that the local news on those 123 stations won't report too favorable on our new president over the coming months... I'd say that there are some station managers who are pi-i-issed...
Thank fuck for that...tired of the media going gaga over this character in the White House.
Way to be racist dumb fuck...
It's not only Obama who supported this idea you retard. And considering the massive recession we're I doubt he gives a fuck whether your panties are in a twist over this whole DTV switchover.
He signed it so that Congress could MOVE ON and focus on more important issues in case your little racist brain doesn't understand that.
u r corrrrrrrrrrect sir! i think goofy is the pres? when is the next election?
Don't even bother to dignify "Vinnie's" comment. We know these people exist. He can sit there and spout off all he wants. The important thing is that he WILL be sitting there for four years. Never try to have a triple digit I.Q. debate with a single digit I.Q. They can't understand what you are saying.
On the subject: No one who visit's this site is living in the stone age. We are all set. Don't worry about it. If anyone has not made the conversion by now, they never will.
You are both very presumptuous to call me racist just because I used the word "character." And it looks like you've both been appropriately negative ranked for making such presumptions (and not by me, I might add), well done.
Did it ever occur to you I might be referring to some of his fiscal, technological and fiscal decisions as of late? The outright worship because of his very presence by the liberal left has reached sickening heights.
And don't presume to know what my IQ is, I would be willing to put it head to head with yours any day.
There is a world outside of the Engadget contingent, you know, and there is a very real possibility that some of us here might be aiming for frugality in these tough times (canceling extemporaneous services like 100 channels or more of television). Also, this is a very frustrating situation when I have an elderly parent and aunt whom I'm trying to ready for this transition and then this forced delay is implemented. It's creating nothing but confusion and feeding the procrastinator and entitlement mindset that has taken this country by storm.
Crap, that should have read "...fiscal, technological and social policy decisions.."
I was going to argue with you, but you said not to. Thanks for saving me some time!
Well, now that Obama has waffled on FISA and botched up DTV, what will be his next FAIL?
What is the point of the delay when a vast majority of the TV stations are switching off analog? Won't this just confuse people even more?
About 1/3 of the country's 1800 OTA broadcasters will likely be converting on the 17th just as planned. Ultimately the delay accomplishes absolutely nothing. Those who are unprepared next Tuesday will now continue sitting on their asses for another four months. Only by pulling the switch will the procrastinators do what they need to do.
The vote was little more than a feel good move, in a vain effort absolve themselves of responsibility for the mess that is the coupon program. When the calls come in because J6P can no longer watch tv, they can proclaim they voted in the consumer's interest to delay the conversion, and shift the blame to the broadcaster who pulled the switch anyway.
It is what congress does...wether controlled by Democrats or Republicans. delay, disavow, blame, bow to idealogues, and in the end accomplish nothing.
UpperEastSide, to add: Congress could have moved on whether Obama signed this unnecessary delay into law or not. As for retardation, apparently you are stricken with it since you seem to be unaware that it was Obama who proposed the delay in the first place and the only reason the sane (on this issue) Republicans backed down was because the bill was amended to allow stations to optionally switch off their analog signals on the originally planned date of February 17 but as shown by this newspiece, you rarely get what you lobby/pay/vote/bargain for with big government.
And you're right, there are more important matters at hand, like inflating that recently passed stimulus bill with mass amounts of porky projects that serve to fill agendas rather than actually stabilizing the economy.
OK, TRT, I'll be waiting for your apology any moment now.
Actually the move to delay was underway in Congress before Obama suggested it. Though his bringing it up certainly greased the wheels for the delay to move forward.
On the surface, Congress' reason for the delay was the coupon mess that left millions 'unprepared' for the digital switchover. That coupon program was poorly managed by the last administration. While problems with the program were clear, they did nothing to try and solve them. Nothing to deal with the expired coupons. Nothing to deal with the program running out of money. In short, knowing that it was the end of their watch, they ignored the issues and handed it off to the next team. Don't portray the delay as a screw up by the Democrats. Blame can easily be distributed. BTW, I DO agree that the delay was a foolish mistake and will accomplish nothing.
While the Republicans in Congress resisted and ultimately backed down, I would hardly give them credit for sanity. Their little monkey wrench (allowing stations to switch anyway) did nothing to help smooth the process and only created the environment for mass confusion among the less aware of the population.
Pork projects and lobbyists buying influence? Is this truly a surprise to anyone? Are you saying Republicans didn't add pork or submit to lobbyist influence while they were in control of Congress? Can anyone say Abramoff? Sadly both pork and lobbyist influence are status quo, regardless of who is in charge. Congressional pork will always be present, and is something that will never change until a President is given Constitutional authority to strike individual spending items...not something Congress will give up easily.
While he may or may not be on the right track (subject to time and ones ideological leanings), at least Obama appears to be trying to find a solution to the mess he inherited. That's far more than you can say from the last batch that sat on their thumbs proclaiming the fundamentals of the economy were sound while doubling the national debt, and presiding over relative financial disasters on Wall Street and the in the Banking industry. Our future as well as that of our rugbrats has long been mortgaged regardless of who is/was/or will be in office and in control of Congress or the Presidency.
Political pissing match aside, this last part of the digital switchover has really been bungled by both sides of the aisle. Poor, elderly, wealthy, tech savvy, or middle class...we've all been inundated with announcements about the cutoff. In addition, with the government subsidizing the basic cost of the converter boxes, there is no excuse not to be ready. My personal feeling is that Congress delayed the analog cutoff simply to avoid the inevitable backlash that will come when that small percent of the population loses their tv signal. All they'ver really done is simply postpone it.
"stay tuned (if you can.)"
What does that mean? Is Engadget turning off it's...analong...website is some markets?
this is insanity!!!! leave it to our crazy ass hybrid fascist/socialist government to do something like this. for christ sake if they want to pull the plug after their legal obligation to run analog is over LET THEM!!!!! i foresee a few smaller affiliates going into possible bankruptcy or shutting down over this. so instead of making sure people still get some sort of broadcast they will get neither and people will be put out of jobs. obama and the democratic congress is already shaping up to be on par with bush and his republican congress's ineptness
I don't get the point of delaying the shutoff. There's no good time to do this, so if we just get it over with, but the time June rolls around we'll all be switched over and everyone will be happy.
Rich, you raise many good points...the Repubs, under Bush, have become ridiculous spenders. But that doesn't excuse the current administration and the nearly $1 trillion bill that they are attempting to gun-barrel through. The only way we'll pay for it? Higher taxes.
And yes, the Republicans were being sane about this DTV issue until they allowed concessions for the compromise they achieved. However, wouldn't the rules committee just have altered the needed vote percentage (from simple majority to two-thirds) had the Repubs not budged on moving the delay forward?