Need a federal coupon for a digital TV converter? You'll have to wait; the program is out of money

Next month's transition to digital television, which is bound to be troublesome for many rural Americans, just got more troublesome. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced today that the program to provide $40 coupons for digital converter boxes has exhausted its $1.34 billion budget, "weeks sooner than anyone expected," because of heavy news coverage of the issue over the holidays, writes Ira Teinowitz of TVWeek.

"Instead of getting a coupon, consumers on the list will be notified there will be a delay," Teinowitz reports. "Through Feb. 11, about 351,000 coupons are expected to expire unused each week, and the same number then can be issued. Because more consumers applied for coupons in November and December, the number that will expire later in February and March also will grow, but that will come after the Feb. 17 DTV transition." (Read more)

"Members of Congress are now scrambling to find ways to allocate more money to the program," reports Kim Hart of The Washington Post. "Congress could solve the funding shortfall by approving more money for the program or waiving the rule to allow the NTIA to issue new coupons without waiting for unredeemed ones to expire." (Read more)

The switch to digital TV is a major story in rural America, but one that many rural journalists may have difficulty covering because it's an unfamiliar subject and the sources are mostly in Washington. The National Press Foundation is sponsoring a free, 75-minute webinar on the subject on Jan. 22. Space is limited, and available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, click here.