Consumer Costs of Digital Conversion Worry Lawmakers

A controversial proposal to require broadcasters to switch to digital TV by 2006 appears to be giving an increasing number of lawmakers qualms, because it could end up forcing millions of consumers to buy digital-to-analog converters to keep analog-only receivers alive. ...¶... the costs of subsidizing converters for all 73 million analog-only sets would amount to $7.3 billion, almost twice the $4 billion the government might raise from auctioning the broadcast industry's analog channels, according to the more pessimistic auction forecasts in circulation. ... Link: TV Week.

Congress Sorts Through Set-top Scenarios.  ... Mark Goldstein, testifying for the Government Accounting Office, said his office found that approximately 19 percent, or 21 million American households, rely exclusively on OTA television. Of those, 48 percent had incomes less than $30,000. Also, more than 23 percent of nonwhite households are OTA-only compared to less than 16 percent of white households; as are about 28 percent of Hispanic households compared to 17 percent non-Hispanic. ... Link: TV Technology.

Thanks for both tips to Mark Schubin. --Dennis