January 12, 2009
At the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, technology companies from around the world showed off television sets that can display personalized and interactive broadcasts, tune in programs from the Internet and effortlessly grab pictures from cellphones, cameras and camcorders. It's the next generation of television -- an evolution driven by the advent of digital TVs and programming. That evolution was slated to reach a critical point Feb. 17, when local TV stations were to turn off their analog broadcasts and transmit only digital signals. But just as the convention kicked off, President-elect Barack Obama's transition team asked Congress to postpone the cutoff indefinitely. Needless to say, the news was not warmly received by manufacturers that have been promoting the switch to digital for more than a decade.

The new administration had a valid reason for its request: Millions of people are likely to lose access to local TV programming on Feb. 18. Surveys show that nearly every TV viewer is aware of the switch, and preparing for it doesn't take much effort -- analog sets will need to be connected to cable, satellite TV or a $40 to $70 converter box that can tune in digital signals. Yet when broadcasters in Wilmington, N.C., voluntarily shut down their analog stations four months ago, they found that more than 1,000 people weren’t ready. The picture looks worse nationally, with unprepared as of last month.

Nevertheless, postponing the transition will simply delay the pain it will inevitably cause while denying the public some of its benefits -- such as new, innovative uses of airwaves no longer occupied by analog channels. The trial run in Wilmington showed that the main hurdle isn't a lack of awareness among TV viewers, it's procrastination and technical naivete. The relatively simple task of hooking up a converter box stumps some people; others have trouble obtaining the $40 government subsidy and purchasing the box. To overcome these problems, communities will need to line up plenty of volunteers, particularly to help the elderly and minorities. And though it waited far too long to do so, last week the Federal Communications Commission approved more than $8 million in grants for just that purpose to groups across the country.

The Obama transition team also noted that the subsidy program for converter boxes hit the limit of its budget last week. But Congress can fix that problem in time for Washington to resume mailing coupons this month, giving recipients a few weeks to use them before the scheduled switch. The end of analog TV will cause heartburn whenever it comes. Let's get on with it.