GOP Leaders want FCC and NTIA to Prioritize Converter Coupons for Over-the-Air Homes

Reps Joe Barton (R-TX) and Cliff Stearns (R-FL) have written the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications Administration asking that the NTIA prioritize homes that rely on over-the-air broadcasts for digital-to-analog converter box coupons. They also want the NTIA to giver priority to first-time requests from over-the-air homes over re-requests. They also urged the FCC and NTIA to make a list of the stations transitioning before the new June 12 hard date (641 stations have already pulled the plug) available to consumers on its Web sites-the FCC already has such a list-"and over your telephone lines" so that consumers know how the transition will affect them.