Senate approves bill to delay digital TV

Senate unanimously passed another bill on Thursday to delay the national transition to digital television. Efforts to move the transition date to June 12 from February 17 are fueled by worries an estimated 20 million mostly poor, elderly and rural households are not technically ready for the congressionally mandated switch. Earlier this week, the Senate passed another bill delaying the DTV transition, but the measure failed in the House of Representatives. The bill is essentially the same that previously passed the Senate, but with a few minor modifications from the House. The bill has no additional funding for the DTV-to-analog converter box coupon program; the money for reissuing the coupons is in a separate bill, the economic stimulus package. The measure now goes back to the House.