Yearly TV Licence? ...Really?

[Carol]

Annemehr: 
> 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.

Carol responds:
In the U.S., do you mean? Wonder why no one ever told me about coupons
for free converters! No one else of my acquaintance has them, either.
Do you mean that the cable companies will all go broke or change to
Internet providers because no one will need their services and a lot
of people spent money on satellite dishes for nothing?

And where can I buy a converter box? (Radio Shack?)

Carol, more confused than ever about the switchover