Washington - U.S. consumers who still have analog TV sets that receive over-the-air signals are being urged by the government to apply for coupons that can be used toward the purchase of digital TV converter boxes by year's end, to "minimize the chances of losing TV reception" when analog signals are switched off in February.

Washington - The Senate Commerce Committee has announced plans to hold an oversight hearing on the status of the digital TV transition on Sept. 23, Broadcasting & Cable reported. The hearing will assess the FCC and National Telecommunication Information Administration efforts to promote broadcaster and consumer preparedness, as well as the recent test pilot of a digital switchover in Wilmington, N.C. The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold its own oversight hearing on the digital TV transition tomorrow.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration ("NTIA") now has made available the coupons for consumers to use to buy converter boxes that will allow analog television sets to pick up the digital signals of television stations. We have written about the NTIA program before, here. Digital signals are now available in most markets, and these signals will be the only signals available from full power television stations after the February 17, 2009 digital conversion deadline. The coupons, valued at $40, will be available until they run out (and, by most estimates, Congress has not appropriated enough money for every household to get coupons).

Washington - Beginning Jan. 1, the 13-21 million households that use an antenna to receive analog TV signals can ask the government for two $40 coupons they can use toward the purchase of converters that will be needed for them to view digital TV signals once analog broadcasts are discontinued in 2009, the Associated Press reported.

Washington - LG Electronics expects retailers to charge about $60 for the converter boxes that will be needed by viewers to receive digital TV signals on analog TV sets, once the switch to digital broadcasting happens in February 2009, Reuters reported.

*The original version of this story has been corrected.
Washington - The U.S. Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced on Monday the finalized specifics of its coupon program that will subsidize U.S. consumers' purchases of converter boxes, so they remain able to receive signals on their analog TVs once analog broadcasts are ceased on Feb. 1, 2009.