Yearly TV Licence? ...Really?

[Annemehr]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> 
wrote:
>
> 
> bboyminn:
> > 
> > As someone else pointed out this $279/yr pays for 5 channels, some
> radio, and a few other things, but 3 of those 5 channels are
> commercial, so really it's only two channels. 
> > 
> > That's what I get for free here in the USA, meaning two commercial
> free channels (PBS), though today's PBS can hardly be called 
commerial
> free. <snip>
> 
> Carol responds:
> 
> Not for long. On February 19, 2009 (if I have the date right), 
you'll
> no longer be able to view TV free using rabbit ears. That's the date
> when all the stations will change from analog to digital.
> 
> I've been told that I won't need a converter because the cable 
company
> will convert the signal through my cable box. I hope that's the case
> because I certainly don't want to buy a converter--or a new TV.
> 
> Carol, remembering the old days when (almost) every house had a TV 
antenna
>


My parents don't have cable, and they got a converter free with the 
coupon the government was sending out (but there was a limited supply 
of those coupons -- they're probably all gone by now).

In any case, the converter is much, much cheaper than cable, and my 
mom and dad tell me they pull in more local channels than they ever 
did with regular analog -- and the reception is absolutely perfect 
for each of them.

Of course, what channels anyone would get would depend on where they 
live.

Annemehr