The clock continues to tick for analog broadcast, with rabbit ears set to become a historic curio at midnight on Feb. 17, 2009. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which is responsible for distributing the required digital converter boxes to keep older televisions functioning in the new digital broadcast world, laid out their plan to help houses make the switch. Every household, regardless of whether it needs a box, will be eligible to receive two coupons worth $40 each that can be used to buy two converter boxes. The coupons must be requested between Jan. 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009. As of 2005, the FCC said there were 15.4 million television households in the United States that received over-the-air signals only, excluding satellite users who use antenna to get local stations. While groups like the NAB and CES praised the rules, no one knows what the converter boxes will look like or how much they will eventually cost.
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