Digital TV Coupons for Nursing Home Residents
April 2008
Congressman Eliot Engel (NY) wrote: due to a flaw in the law
involving the digital television transition, nursing home residents have been
unable to receive $40 coupons towards the purchase of the device required to
allow their television to continue receiving signals. To read my letter, please
click
here.
When I learned of the error in the law that prevented seniors
in nursing homes from receiving the coupons, I immediately wrote to Meredith
Attwell Baker, the administrator of the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA), who oversees the coupon program. In my
letter, I strongly urged her to change the rules to allow nursing home residents
to receive coupons.
After receiving my letter, the NTIA declared
their intention to change the program to allow nursing home residents to receive
the $40 coupons. I am pleased to inform you of this development,
because the coupon program was designed to help the people who need this
assistance the most. Leaving out nursing home residents would be ignoring the
needs of the very people the program was created to assist.
As you may
know, on February 17, 2009 television broadcasts nationwide will transition from
analog to digital. On this date, any older (analog) televisions receiving free,
over-the-air broadcasts will need to be connected to a digital converter box in
order to continue receiving signals. The government is providing $40 coupons to
help people purchase the equipment.
The NTIA is also allowing the public
to comment on this proposed rule change. If you have an opinion about the
subject, you can e-mail it to coupon@ntia.doc.gov
or mail it to the following address:
Milton
Brown
Office of the Chief Counsel
National Telecommunications
and Information
Administration
1401 Constitution Ave, Room 4713
Washington, DC 20230
If you need any further information
about the digital television transition on February 17, you can visit http://www.dtv2009.gov.
