About 10 million coupons have been ordered through the agency, and about 3.8 million coupons have been sent to consumers, according to the NTIA. But only about 1 percent of the coupons have been redeemed. By law, the coupons expire 90 days after they are issued.
That mandated expiration poses a problem for Spence Haynes, who lives in Salisbury, Md. His coupon expires next month, but the box he wants -- a $40 box made byEchoStar -- is not expected to hit shelves until summer.
He also wants a box that can still receive the analog signals from some community broadcasters, which are not yet required to switch to digital programming. Federal officials said several boxes already have this capability, and they expect more to be available soon.
"I just want to make sure I have access to all the options out there before these coupons turn into pumpkins," Haynes said.
The law doesn't care about Mr. Haynes fairy godmother, and neither does K-Mart or the Acting head of the NTIA (since everyone who gets that job quits). They say everything is hunky-dory, right?At a hearing Tuesday, members of the Senate Commerce Committee expressed concern that consumers, especially those living in rural areas, may lose some programming. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) worried that people who live far from broadcast towers may have trouble receiving the digital signal, even with a converter box.
"They're going to think they did everything right and then get no signal," Klobuchar said.
Kevin J. Martin, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and Meredith Baker, acting assistant secretary of the NTIA, assured senators that their agencies' awareness efforts have been effective.
Baker said consumers shouldn't have a problem receiving the signals if they reposition their antennas. She also said not all converter boxes were required to receive analog signals because such a feature could degrade the picture quality and increase the cost.
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