Delay switch to all-digital TV

[lavern]

President-elect Barack Obama asked Congress on Thursday to delay next month’s planned switch to all-digital broadcast television.

The government-mandated conversion on Feb. 17, hailed as the biggest advance in over-the-air TV since the advent of color, was supposed to highlight new technology that offers sharper pictures and more free viewing options while opening up valuable airwaves for public safety and wireless Internet access.

But on Monday, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced that the program had run out of money. The government agency has a waiting list of about 1.1 million coupon requests, which can slowly be filled as unused coupons reach their 90-day expiration.

Still, an estimated 7.7 million households nationwide are facing the prospect of paying $40 to $70 each for full-price converter boxes or lose TV service.