27 January 2009

On February 28, 2007 a coalition was created to inform the public about the switch from analog television signals to digital on February 17, 2009.

Nearly two years of non stop public service announcements, updates to their informative website, voucher plans to get digital converter boxes into peoples homes and the incessant radio ads and still the public are asking,

What exactly is going to happen on February 17th?

Seriously! Engadget just posted that the transition deadline has been extended until June 12. I love the fact that they question if this will even be the date. After all, if they aren't ready by now...

Truth is, people don't like to be proactive. They have too much going on - too many other things to worry about. So instead they react when problems occur.

You better believe if the transition went into effect on February 17, everyone who lost service would be at the store the next day to pick up a converter box! So why postpone the date?

History Lesson
Procrastination is nothing new. History reveals that in Bible times people struggled with the same problems.

Didn't Noah warn the people of his day? Wasn't it for a lot longer than two years? People ignored that message too - and it was a matter of life and death!

Summary
I'm not saying the transition to digital television HAS to happen on February 17, 2009. What I AM saying is that there will be just as many people caught off guard in June as there would have been in February.

Am I being too pessimistic or negative?