No Responses to “More Wasteful Money” »»

1. David
   Comment by David | 01/30/09 at 1:10 pm

   I think the number is 1.3 billion…or is this hyperbole.

2. John Ford
   Comment by John Ford | 01/30/09 at 1:37 pm

   David, I got to emotional.

3. anon
   Comment by anon | 01/30/09 at 2:19 pm

   I believe that money for the converters came from a government auction of the spectrum which was freed up with the switch to the more efficient digital standard. In other words, this isn’t the waste of tax funds that it may look like – it actually paid for itself.

4. John Ford
   Comment by John Ford | 01/30/09 at 2:45 pm

   Anon, I wasn’t aware of that, thanks for the update.

5. Mrph
   Comment by Mrph | 01/30/09 at 3:33 pm

   On top of that, it isn’t for American Idol.

   OTA (Over the air) broadcasts are used by the government in emergencys.

   It’s a public safety and national security issue, which is why money was used to free up coupons to everyone, not just people with only OTA antennas.

   Think about those stuck in the ice storm this past Dec, but who had generators and could get news OTA. After the switch they’d need a converter box or a newer TV.

   in the case that sat and cable is disrupted, they’d still be OTA broadcasts.

   Besides, how are we to get the facts that the dead have been brought back to life or the news on the battle at yonkers?

6. JohnG
   Comment by JohnG | 01/30/09 at 9:12 pm

   I think it is a waste of money.

   The money recieved from the sale of airwaves could have gone somewhere else. And I need to get one of those boxes too.

   I wonder if the government gets money back when someone returns a conversion box to a store an consumer gets a refund? I doubt it.

   “Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., asked for an update on the program that is helping people keep up with the switch from analog to digital broadcast signals. The Department of Commerce said the program is running out of money, and is expected to hit its $1.34 billion limit at the beginning of January, Reuters reported.
   “

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