“That is a pretty good chunk of folks,” Williams said. Some estimates put the number of over-the-air-only households nationwide at 15.2 million, or 14 percent of the population. “Since this hits our membership and older Oklahomans the most, we will do a lot of outreach.”Ĭongress approved $1.5 billion to pay for the converter box subsidy program, said Bob Williams, director of, a Consumers Union project that deals with telecommunications and other issues. “This will be a priority for us,” Voskuhl said.
Studies show that consumers age 50 and older watch about 5 hours of television daily more than any other age group, he said. That's also the day that converter boxes are expected to be available in retail stores, he said. 17, one year ahead of the digital transition. Department of Commerce said that the coupons will be mailed out beginning Feb. “I would encourage folks to go ahead and get the coupons now and beat the rush, but it will be probably March before you can go out and get your box,” Voskuhl said.Ī spokesman for the U.S. Or they can log on to and do it online.Įither way, early birds probably won't be able to buy a converter box for months, said Sean Voskuhl, associated state director of the AARP, an organization that represents about 400,000 older Oklahomans. In a report on the digital television broadcast transition published by the Federal Communications Commission earlier this week, regulators said the digital-to-analog converter boxes would be available to consumers this month.Ĭonsumers can call (888)388-2009 to order the subsidy coupons. “If I need the coupon then I'll have it, but if I wait until December I'm afraid there will be a year's waiting list or something like that,” Meier said.
Meier, 65, wanted to ensure he wouldn't be caught in a last-minute backlog if he waited until the end of the year to order the coupon. Consumers could begin ordering the coupons this week. 17, 2009, those analog televisions no longer will be able to receive over-the-air broadcasts without help from a converter box. So did Onelda Newton of Oklahoma City and a woman from Shawnee who did not want to be identified.Īll wanted to know how they could get the $40 coupons promised by the government that would subsidize much of the cost of a converter box needed for consumers who rely on older analog televisions.Īfter Feb. Fred Meier of Moore wanted some digital television answers Wednesday morning, more than a year before the nation's broadcasters will pull the plug on analog broadcasts.
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