Breaking: DTV delay bill fails in the House

House Republicans managed Wednesday to defeat the so-called "DTV delay" bill—and that means that the planned Feb. 17 date for the digital TV transition is still on, barring any last-minute maneuvering by Democrats and the Obama administration.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller's DTV delay bill—which included a series of compromises to mollify House and Senate Republicans, who've been resisting calls to push back the transition date—was passed by the Senate on Monday, and many observers (myself included) expected smooth sailing in the House.

But the bill, which would have delayed the DTV transition date to June 12, fell short of the needed two-thirds majority to pass, 258-168. The bill isn't stone dead, but after the stinging setback, its future is uncertain.

So now it's back to the drawing board for Democrats and President Obama, who have argued that too many people still aren't ready for the shutoff of analog TV signals. (The transition only affects those with analog TVs and over-the-air antennas; such viewers would need a $40-$60 DTV converter box to receive digital signals on their old TVs.)

Of course, that's a matter of debate: A recent report from Nielsen revealed that 5.7 percent of U.S. households aren't ready for the DTV transition, but some say that figure is inflated—and after all, it also means that 94.3 percent of the country is ready for digital TV.

Republicans in Congress have further argued that pushing back the DTV transtition date would only add to the confusion (no argument there, given the recent flood of TV spots announcing the Feb. 17 date), and that a delay would put an undue burden on those TV stations that have already started dismantling their analog TV equipment. Rockefeller's compromise bill included a provision allowing TV stations to make the jump to digital prior to the proposed June 12 deadline. 

Meanwhile, a government coupon program that allows for two $40 DTV converter box coupons per household is still in disarray. The $1.5-billion program ran out of money earlier this month, although as unused coupons expire (after 90 days), more money flows back into the program. Still, about 2.6 million people are stuck on a waiting list, and while Obama's proposed economic stimulus plan includes $650 million in additional DTV coupon funding, there's no saying when—or if—the stimulus package will pass. Update: The House OK'd Obama's stimulus package Wednesday night; now it heads to the Senate.

Also: Rockefeller's DTV delay bill would have allowed those who'd applied for coupons but allowed them to expire to reapply for new ones. But for now, those with expired coupons are simply out of luck.

So, what do you think? Relieved that the Feb. 17 DTV transition date is still on? Worried we're headed for a train wreck? Sound off below.

Related:
House fails to pass DTV delay bill [AP]
DTV transition guide [Yahoo! Tech]