Without an April 15 deadline hanging over them, how many Americans would file their tax returns on time? What would happen if teachers didn’t hold firm to due dates on assignments?
Deadlines are useful. They coax action when procrastination is the dominant urge. Heck, without them, half the stories in this newspaper probably wouldn’t be finished yet.
Yet Congress, with the support of President Obama, appears to be on the verge of extending the Feb. 17 deadline on the much-advertised switch from analog to digital television signals. Why? Because, despite months of getting the word out (including a nearly nonstop television campaign in recent weeks) and major private and public investments already made in the switch, everybody isn’t ready yet. Compliance is only at 95 percent. That’s excellent, but apparently not good enough.
The Neilsen Co. estimated last week that 5.7 million U.S. households weren’t ready for the switch. They haven’t acquired a digital converter box, and are in danger of being left with no TV reception. These are among the 21 million households that rely solely on an analog set and either a roof-top or set-top antenna. People with newer, digital TVs or those hooked up to cable or a satellite service are already set for the change.
Part of the problem, according to those who want to delay the switch until June, is that a government coupon program that offered a $40 discount on the converter boxes ran out of money. Currently, folks who want a coupon must get on a waiting list. Congress should quickly fix that problem without extending the deadline.
The switch was mandated for an important reason: to free up analog spectrum for public safety agencies and wireless broadband technology. Substantial investments have been made, and delay will be costly to some companies that were naive enough to take the Feb. 17 deadline seriously. Police and fire departments that have worked for years to better coordinate their communications should be able to move forward.
With the original deadline approaching, more and more people are getting ready — about 1.3 million additional households since the end of December, according to Neilsen. Move the deadline and watch that rate slow back to a crawl. If consumer confusion is part of the problem, changing the rules at the last minute will only add to it.
And if you move the deadline once, good luck getting anyone to take the next one seriously.
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