Those left behind - Dragging the tech-challenged into the present

Blogger's note: You've seen the stories like this one in the New York Times, explaining how millions of households will face (gasp!) blank TV screens on June 12 because they still receive broadcast TV via analog hardware. My reaction? WTF! OK, some of the problem may be that folks can't afford cable or satellite. Some. But my guess is, this just isn't the problem for most of the millions who have yet to come into the present. They are the left-behind, and blank TV screens won't be the biggest issue for them.

New York Times - June 5, 2009, by Stephen Labaton

Danielle Eberhardt, front, and Katherine Daniel of AmeriCorps set up a TV converter box for Laura Wilson, left, in Baltimore.

WASHINGTON — Millions of households will lose television reception next week when about 1,000 broadcasters around the nation shut off their analog signals and complete their conversion to digital programming, federal officials say.

Concerned about a possible political reaction, President Obama issued a statement on Thursday urging consumers to take steps so they do not lose television reception. “We have worked hand in hand with state and local officials, broadcasters and community groups to educate and assist millions of Americans with the transition,” Mr. Obama said.

The government has spent more than $2 billion to ease the transition to digital television, and in the last few months has cut in half the number of households that are unprepared for the final conversion on June 12. But the latest survey by the Nielsen Company indicates that as of the end of May, more than 10 percent of the 114 million households that have television sets are either completely or partly unprepared.

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