American TV viewers have four extra months to get ready for the day their local stations shut down their analog transmitters, thanks to a delay in the digital TV transition approved by Congress Wednesday. The government's fund to give people $40 coupons to help buy converters ran out of money in recent weeks. The House, by a vote of 264 to 158, passed a Senate bill that would reset the death of analog TV to June 12, a measure President Barack Obama is expected to sign.
An estimated 6.5 million homes -- including many elderly, poor and disabled Americans -- would lose TV service after February 17 without the delay, supporters argued. People who pay for cable or satellite TV service will be unaffected by the change. The delay was opposed by Republicans who said the government has already given people years to prepare for the switch to digital TV. "If you didn't know this date is coming up, you're probably not watching television," said Rep. Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican. "And if you're not watching television, you probably won't know on February 18 whether it occurred or not."
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An estimated 6.5 million homes -- including many elderly, poor and disabled Americans -- would lose TV service after February 17 without the delay, supporters argued. People who pay for cable or satellite TV service will be unaffected by the change. The delay was opposed by Republicans who said the government has already given people years to prepare for the switch to digital TV. "If you didn't know this date is coming up, you're probably not watching television," said Rep. Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican. "And if you're not watching television, you probably won't know on February 18 whether it occurred or not."
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