The writers' strike isn't the only thing interfering with your television reception. Starting in February next year, anyone without cable service or a digitally enabled TV set will no longer be able to receive a signal. But unlike the writers’ strike, there is some good news: The long-promised coupons to help make the digital transition a little cheaper are now available.
The federal government is spending $1.5 million funding these coupons to help owners of older sets buy a converter box that will fix the problem. People can also just buy a new set. Read about the switch in this article by The New York Times.
Of course, such a big switch involves several different lobbying campaigns. The switch to digital transmissions will free up a portion of the public airwaves, which will then be auctioned off to wireless providers. Read about that in this Legal Times story. And Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice is representing the Save Our Sets Coalition, a group largely backed by Massillon Cable TV Inc., an Ohio company. The group wants cable providers to be excused from some new fees associated with the switch to digital in exchange for providing free service to owners of outdated TV sets.
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