DTV converter coupons are flowing again

If you're one of the millions of people who've been placed on a waiting list to receive DTV converter-box coupons, there's some good news: According to the NTIA, you should have your coupons by the end of next week at the latest.

And for those who either never applied for coupons but wish to do so, or who have coupons that have since expired, there's still time to act. Just visit the DTV coupon website at https://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx, or call the 24-hour toll-free hotline at 1-888-388-2009 (1-888-DTV-2009), to reapply. As in the past, each eligible household can receive up to two $40 coupons. The National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA), the agency spearheading the DTV coupon program, says with the waiting-list backlog now cleared, it should take on average about nine days to receive a coupon after you apply.

The coupon program has been restarted thanks to the recently passed stimulus package, which allocated some $650 million to the DTV coupon program. In addition to funding more coupons, the NTIA says the money is being used to streamline the applications process to reduce waiting, and to help the agency reach "the most vulnerable populations" via local outreach efforts. The renewed funding of the coupon program follows a decision by Congress to delay the analog cutoff for over-the-air broadcasts until June 12, 2009. One of the main reasons was that the government ran out of money to fund the DTV converter-box coupons, leaving some 4 million people on a coupon waiting list. These coupons can be used to help offset the cost of buying one of these boxes, which make over-the-air digital signals usable on older TVs that won't work after June 12.

So far, nearly 40 percent of the actual coupon funding has been used. The NTIA says that should the program appear to be running out of money, a priority would be given to those households that currently receive their TV broadcasts exclusively from over-the-air analog signals.

However, remember that while the new June 12th is the last day that broadcasters can transmit analog TV signals, many stations—about 600 now, and perhaps 150 more, according to the FCC—will go all-digital before that date. To make the transition early, though, the stations need to follow some stiff new FCC rules.

To find out whether stations in your area are transitioning earlier, visit www.dtv.gov. If you're currently using a DTV converter, we recommend you regularly re-scan channels to make sure you're getting all the stations available in your area.

—James K. Willcox