Make the Switch...Please

When I heard about the transition from analog to digital TV broadcast, I figured that, despite the $40 coupons and massive ad campaign, there would be chaos once the deadline approached. People would procrastinate, or they wouldn't understand, and they'd raise hell when they lost their TV signal. Well, it looks like that's what's happening. Many lawmakers, including Obama, want a delay in the big switch. Reasons cited are unavailable coupons and insufficient education.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of seeing the commercials about this. I was excited for the upcoming Feb. 17 deadline because the commercials would end, similar to why I eagerly await election day. In fact, instead of making candidates say "I approve this message" in their ads, they should have had to say "don't forget to buy a TV converter box" or something, and kill two ugly birds with one stone.

But today, I can't imagine who is unaware of the switch, just like I can't fathom being undecided a week before election day. There have been national commercials and local campaigns, which target those most likely to need converter boxes by advertising on 60 Minutes, Matlock, and the 6:00 news. Yet here we are. And they wouldn't have run out of coupons if the government hadn't sent two of them to everybody. I wonder if I can sell my extra one on E-bay? Probably not.