Senate votes to delay digital TV switch 4 months UPDATE: Bill fails to get required 2/3 House vote

UPDATE, Jan. 28: The bill to delay the digital transition failed to get the necessary two-thirds vote in the House today, forcing supporters to redouble their efforts and perhaps drop the expedited route that required them to get a supermajority. Here's the AP story.

The Senate voted without dissent today to delay the scheduled Feb. 17 transition to digital television to June 12. "The vote is a big victory for the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress, who have been pushing for a delay amid growing concerns that too many Americans won't be ready" for the switch, writes Joelle Tessler of The Associated Press.

The vote was quite a change from last week, when Senate Republicans blocked the measure. Some of them then crafted a compromise, which "would allow television stations to switch to digital signals before the June 12 deadline if they are ready, for the vacated spectrum to be allocated to public safety services," reports Stephanie Condon of CNet. "The coupon program to subsidize digital converter boxes is also extended under the legislation, allowing consumers with expired coupons to apply for new ones." (Read more)