Sunday, March 2, 2008

BRACE FOR CHANGES TO TV BROADCAST FORMATS

We here in Gasport are blessed with having regular TV reception from two media markets...Buffalo and Toronto. A good TV antenna will bring in 17 stations. Because of that, many Gasporters have never subscribed to satellite or cable TV. If you're one of them, prepare yourself....

In 2009 and 2011, US and Canadian (respectively) TV stations will broadcast only in digital format. Many homeowners, like myself, still have analog TV's and, unfortunately, cannot receive digital signals without a converter box which can cost $40 to $70.

The government created this mess and will offer help to fix it (with our money of course, so it's a wash). They are now issuing coupons ($1.5 billion worth!) to help us foot the bill. Every household can apply for two coupons, each $40 in value. You can use the coupon to make your purchase at Wal-Mart, Target, Radio Shack and other stores.

To apply, fill out a form at http://www.dtv2009.gov/ or call 1.888.DTV-2009.