WASHINGTON—Senators Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin and the rest of the Iowa delegation today sent a letter to the National Telecommunications Information Administration asking the Administration to re-issue digital converter-box coupons to victims of Iowa’s recent severe weather. The letter from the delegation asks the National Telecommunications Information Administration to re-issue coupons to Iowans living in federal disaster areas who may have lost their previously issued coupons.
Beginning February 17, 2009 all television broadcasts will transition from analog to digital signals. Analog televisions will require a converter box to bring in the digital signal. In an effort to ease the transition, the federal government is providing households with up to two $40 coupons that must be redeemed within three months of the issue date to help cover the cost of the digital converter box.
“Many Iowans counted on their televisions to receive weather updates and early warnings that proved to be life-saving during this year’s historic flooding and tornadoes,” Grassley said. “Re-issuing these coupons will help those who lost everything get back on their feet and help ensure access to same weather reports that were so vital this summer.”
“Iowans hit by our state’s historic disasters shouldn’t have to search the remains of their belongings for a DTV coupon,” said Harkin. “The NTIA should immediately recognize the trials that Iowans have endured in the last few months and re-issue these coupons.”
Here is a copy of the letter.
August 11, 2008
The Honorable Meredith Attwell Baker
Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
National Telecommunications Information Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20230
Dear Ms. Baker:
This spring and summer, Iowa was devastated by tornadoes, floods, and other major storms. As of today, 82 Iowa counties have been declared Federal Disaster Areas by President Bush.
Many Iowans have lost everything they owned during the disasters. To help these people recover, old televisions have been donated for use as they rebuild their lives. Unfortunately, many of the victims lost their National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA)-issued converter-box coupons during the disasters.
As television broadcasters prepare for the February 17, 2009 transition from analog to digital signals, it is important that Iowans affected by these disasters have access to converter box coupons. During the disasters, television was an important way to keep up-to-date on the latest happenings in the area, including information on the weather conditions that decimated their lives.
We encourage the NTIA to re-issue converter box coupons under Phase I of the coupon program to Iowans in the Federal Disaster Areas who have lost their coupons so they have access to pertinent weather and emergency information on their televisions after February 17, 2009. The coupon program is an important way to help ease the transition for consumers, and the Iowans affected by recent disasters should be able to receive the same assistance. We ask that you allow Iowans to re-apply and receive the converter box coupons if their residence is in a Federal Disaster Area.
Thank you for your consideration of our request. We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Grassley Tom Harkin
United States Senator United States Senator
Tom Latham Leonard Boswell
United States Representative United States Representative
Steve King Bruce Braley
United States Representative United States Representative
David Loebsack
United States Representative