tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post3702690706582530148..comments2020-04-11T03:30:02.282-05:00Gary R. Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185079937305083438noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-41707434361883394802009-01-20T12:54:00.000-05:002009-01-20T12:54:00.000-05:00Downtown Indy, perhaps we are having a semantic difference here. You are correct. The people had plenty of notice and time to prepare but the fact is that a huge number didn't. Although one small station that is only viewed on one island did not make the conversion either. Televison is not only for entertainment but for warnings of pending danger......natural and manmade and if we have a significant part of the population unable to hear those warnings ..then we have a problem. However, the government did not fail this time, the people did.artfugginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05364503656694166926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-23448519829344486442009-01-20T07:50:00.000-05:002009-01-20T07:50:00.000-05:00No Art, 'chaos' would be a general failure of the utility infrastructure for some reason and people not having a stockpile of essential needs. <BR/><BR/>Having the TV go out because you didn't act despite 18 months of near-constant reminders is 'inconvenience' or 'tough s**t.'Downtown Indyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06239811599722585898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-68687220794262881892009-01-19T22:46:00.000-05:002009-01-19T22:46:00.000-05:00Hawaii did it early and it resulted in chaos...despite repeated warnings, people were not ready.artfugginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05364503656694166926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-83346649913571167862009-01-19T22:08:00.000-05:002009-01-19T22:08:00.000-05:00The coupons amount to $1.34 BILLION dollars, a figure that floored me when I first heard about it. Of course, that now pales in comparison to the recent bailouts.<BR/><BR/>http://www.tmcnet.com/channels/broadband-telephony/articles/48514-obama-team-urges-delay-digital-tv-transition.htm<BR/><BR/>What I have NOT seen is any estimate of the cost to broadcasters if they are required to continue their analog signals. <BR/><BR/>(A) They will have to adjust their budgets to fund continuation of their dual-transmitter operations. Megawatts of transmitter power equates to many 10s of thousands of dollars in electricity costs per month.<BR/><BR/>(B) Broadcasters have contracts for disposal of the old analog gear, which means they stand to lose whatever they HAD figured on getting paid for that equipment. <BR/><BR/>They may find their contracts cancelled and with the current financial climatemay either be unable to find a new buyer or new bids come in far below the old contract prices.<BR/><BR/>And they may be forced into paying stiff penalties for failing to fulfill timely delivery according to the contract.Downtown Indyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06239811599722585898noreply@blogger.com