The House of Representatives on Monday approved legislation to complete the country's transition to new, higher-quality digital television by February 17, 2009. Under a deal negotiated by Republicans in the Senate and House, a $1.5 billion fund would be created to help some consumers buy converter boxes so existing analog television signals do not go dark when the transition is finished.
The compromise is part of a larger bill aimed at cutting government spending over the next five years, which was narrowly approved by the House and still must be passed by the Senate. The Senate previously had approved a $3 billion fund and set the date as April 7, 2009 for when television stations must end analog broadcasts and only air their digital signals. The House originally backed a $990 million fund and December 31, 2008 as the date.
News source: Reuters
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