Planet Gadgets Gadget Blog

Digital TV Converter Coupons Scarce

by Administrator

If you haven’t already tried to get your Digital TV Converter coupon, you need to get on the job, according to a top regulator. An official overseeing the program says that a rush of last minute requests for the coupons has left the program strapped.

The government program doling out $40 coupons to subsidize the converter boxes is likely to reach the $1.34-billion limit of its budgetary authority in the first week of January, said Meredith Attwell Baker, acting assistant secretary for Communications and Information at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

“Once the obligation ceiling is reached, the program will hold coupon requests until funds from unredeemed coupons become available,” said Baker in the December 24 letter to Markey who chairs the House subcommittee on telecommunications and Internet matters.

All analog televisions must be converted by February 17th of 2009.