Yearly TV Licence? ...Really?

[Annemehr]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> 
wrote:
>
> 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
>

Annemehr:
Yep, we're in the US (in the Pittsburgh TV market).

Lots of questions answered here:

http://www.dtv.gov/consumercorner.html#converter

The first question regarding converter boxes tells you where to go to 
get your coupons.

(The bit about the free coupons running out may turn out to be a 
false rumor -- it was something my husband heard somewhere.  But this 
site says every household gets two).