President Obama makes digital TV delay official

President Obama signed the digital TV delay into law. Credit: Getty Images.

President Obama made the digital TV delay official today, signing legislation to put off the switch until June 12, the White House said.

"Millions of Americans, including those in our most vulnerable communities, would have been left in the dark if the conversion had gone on as planned," Obama said in a written statement. "This solution is an important step forward as we work to get the nation ready for digital TV."

Not everyone will get the benefit of that extra time. Though the major TV stations in Los Angeles won't turn off their analog signals until the new deadline, the law allows stations to apply to go ahead on the original date -- at the end of the day next Tuesday -- or anytime between now and June 12.

Nearly 500 stations have applied to pull their analog plug on Tuesday, although the FCC may block some early transitions. The most likely places the FCC will step in are markets where most stations want to make the switch early and many residents are unprepared.

-- Jim Puzzanghera

Comments

[Steve]

Latest readiness numbers: via Nielsen.
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/dtv-readiness-update-51-of-us-households-still-unprepared/

[Mike Smith]

Thank God Barak Obama called for this important piece of legislation after Senator Rockefeller of West Virginia pointed out that there are still three hillbillies without the converter box.

Hillbillies for Obama 2012 has just been launched.

[Alejandro Salazar]

What a fraud. As far as emergency information Radio is much better. Our socialist government can not allow people to be without liberal media even for a minute. If people would not want to watch they probably will be giving away TV's.

[FrostyFreeze]

I love how even an article about the switch to digital television is not immune to Obama-bashing.