House Approves DTV Delay

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The transition to digital TV in the U.S. is set to be delayed to June 12 from February 17, following the bill’s approval by the House in a 264-to-158 vote.

Led by Republicans, the House had previously rejected the delay bill, despite its approval by the Senate, arguing that a new date would cause consumer confusion. Supporters of the delay, meanwhile, argued that more than 6.5 million homes were not ready for the transition. The new deadline allows for the government to come up with the additional funding needed to subsidize the decoder boxes.

"The passage of this bipartisan legislation means that millions of Americans will have the time they need to prepare for the conversion," White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage said in a statement.