A few days ago I saw this article about how the Consumer's Union, the organization that prints Consumer Reports magazine, is urging Congress to put off the February 17 deadline for TV stations to switch from analog signals to digital signals. According to the article, 7 percent of households in the U.S. will not be ready for the changeover on February 17 and will lose their signals.I've been a member of Consumer's Union since the mid-90's, and I usually agree with most of the causes they get in a frazzle about. This is one case, however, where I am not in agreement with them. I hope to heck that the FCC doesn't postpone the switch to digital because I am SO SICK of hearing about it. I'm tired of watching TV shows and then having the deadline date of February 17 and a website to go to for more information scroll across the bottom of the screen. I'm tired of the commercials on TV imploring people to get a converter box. I'm tired of the fake news conference that my local cable company has been running on various channels describing the switch over. I just want this thing to be done with.
Also, here's the important part: We could wait until February 17 of 2011, spend the next two years running the ads and the scrolling messages at the bottom of the screen, and I guarantee you that on that date in 2011 there would STILL be 7 percent of the population not ready for the change. Some people, no matter how much you warn them in advance, don't make a change until AFTER they see the consequence of not changing. That's just the way it is.
So please, Consumer's Union, I'm begging ya, stop bothering Congress with this problem. Let's just get this thing done and over with.
1 comment:
Here we go again, not thinking of the 7% that will NEVER EVER comply. In the Army it was 10% never get the word, I never realized that civilians were more organized. But like most of our social programs the 93% compliant will be required to sit back (he says as he closely reads the instructions) and be dumbed down to wait on the 7%. PS Computers were analog at one time and converted to digital. What if the district went analog would the tech guy go balistic and wander around saying "I've been analoged!!!"... hmmm ... Brian/Bryan (Digital/analog cconfusion) my computer says 2+2=3.9999 why? just a thought before church ... special prayer; "Please God don't let them go anolog ......"
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