After June 12, 2009, households with over-the-air analog-only televisions will no longer be able to receive full-power television service unless they either (1) buy a digital-to-analog converter box to hook up to their analog television set; (2) acquire a digital television or an analog television equipped with a digital tuner; or (3) subscribe to cable, satellite, or telephone company television services, which are expected to provide for the conversion of digital signals to their analog customers. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 ( P.L. 109-171 ), as amended by the DTV Delay Act, directed that on June 12, 2009, over-the-air full-power television broadcasts—which are currently provided by television stations in both analog and digital formats—will become digital only. Analog broadcast television signals, which have been broadcast for over 60 years, will cease, and full-power television stations will broadcast exclusively digital signals over channels 2 through 51. The preeminent issue for Congress is ensuring that American households are prepared for the transition, thereby minimizing a scenario whereby television sets across the nation "go dark" on June 12, 2009. Specifically, Congress is actively overseeing the activities of federal agencies responsible for the digital transition—principally the FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Congress is also monitoring the extent to which private sector stakeholders take appropriate and sufficient steps to educate the public and ensure that all Americans are prepared for the digital transition. On January 8, 2009, then-President-elect Obama's transition team asked leaders of the House and Senate Commerce Committees to consider postponing the digital transition date, citing the unavailability of converter box coupons and what they viewed as insufficient federal support and education efforts to ensure that the most vulnerable populations are ready for the transition. Arguments for postponing the transition date, possibly by several months, were sparked by an announcement from NTIA on January 5, 2009, that the funding ceiling for converter box coupons had been reached, that all new requests would be put on a waiting list, and that growing numbers of households would not receive their coupons in time for the deadline of February 17. Groups also expressed concerns over the sufficiency of the FCC's DTV call center efforts. Postponing the DTV transition date was supported by numerous entities, many of whom argued that a delay would provide the extra time needed to enable sufficient additional federal resources to be directed towards helping households prepare for the transition. A few additional months, they argued, would enable Congress to adequately fund the coupon program and ensure that all requesting households would receive coupons in advance of the transition date. A delay would also allow more resources to be directed towards public outreach and education efforts (including enhanced call centers), and provide consumers and broadcasters with more time to address local DT V signal reception issues. On January 16, 2009, Democratic FCC Commissioners wrote a letter to Congressional leaders supporting a delay, arguing that FCC efforts to prepare for the digital transition have been inadequate, and that factors such as coordination, consumer education, reception issues, and call center support might be ameliorated with the extra time offered by a delay. Opponents of delaying the transition argued that changing the date would sow confusion throughout the American public, who had been long exposed to a wide variety of outreach efforts (public service announcements, flyers, billboards, etc.) reiterating the February 17 transition date. Opponents also argued that delaying the date would be a hardship for many local broadcast stations, who would bear the added expense and logistical complications of operating and maintaining their analog signals for several more months. Additionally, opponents argued, a DTV transition date delay could disrupt plans to use the vacated analog spectrum for a variety of public safety and commercial wireless services. On January 14, 2009, then-Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez wrote congressional leaders a letter opposing the delay and recommending that Congress give NTIA $250 million in increased budget authority, which would enable the immediate distribution of coupons. On January 15, 2009, Senator Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed a bill that would delay the digital transition until June 12, 2009, and extend the deadline for coupon applications (from March 31 to July 31, 2009). On January 16, 2009, there was a unanimous consent request for the Senate to immediately consider the bill. However, the unanimous consent request was withdrawn due to the understanding that there would be an objection. Democratic and Republican Senators subsequently reached agreement on revised legislative language, and on January 27, 2009, the Senate passed the DTV Delay Act ( S. 328 ) by unanimous consent. However the House failed in its attempt to pass S. 328 under suspension of the rules (two-thirds vote required). On January 29, 2009, the Senate again passed, by unanimous consent, a slightly revised version of the DTV Delay Act ( S. 352 ). The revisions match modifications made by the House, namely that public safety users would not have to await FCC approval in order to use vacated analog spectrum, and that modifications of the coupon program (including clearing the waiting list of coupon requests) could not proceed until additional budget authority was made available (expected from the $650 million for the DTV coupon program in the economic stimulus package). On January 28, 2009, the House considered Senate-passed S. 328 under suspension of the rules. However, the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended failed by a vote of 258-168 (a two-thirds vote necessary to pass). Subsequently, on January 29, 2009, the Senate passed by unanimous consent S. 352 , a modified version of S. 328 that matches the attempted House amendment that was not passed under the suspension. The House passed S. 352 on February 4, 2009. S. 352 was signed by the President on February 11, 2009 ( P.L. 111-4 ). The law change d the digital transition deadline from February 17 to June 12, 2009 . P.L. 111-4 also included the following provisions: Extension of coupon program —moved the deadline for coupon applications from March 31, 2009, to July 31, 2009; removed requirement that coupons be sent via the U.S. Postal Service; Treatment of expired coupons —allowed households whose coupons have expired to request and receive one replacement coupon for each expired coupon; Condition of coupon box program modifications —program modifications cannot proceed until enactment of additional budget authority to carry out the analog-to-digital converter box program; Permissive early termination under existing requirements —allowed broadcasters, as long as they comply with existing FCC requirements, to switch off their analog signal and go exclusively digital before the new deadline; Public safety radio services —allowed public safety service licensees to use vacated and available analog spectrum before June 12, 2009, subject to relevant FCC rules and regulations; Extension of license terms —extended license period of recovered analog spectrum by 116 days; and Extension of auction authority —extended FCC auction authority through 2012. P.L. 111-4 contained a provision specifying that modifications of the coupon program—which would include clearing the waiting list of coupon requests—cannot proceed until additional budget authority is made available. Additional budget authority was obtained from the $650 million appropriated for the DTV coupon program in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ( P.L. 111-5 ), signed by the President on February 17, 2009. Of the $650 million, P.L. 111-5 included $90 million for education and outreach to vulnerable populations. P.L. 111-5 provided that outreach funding may be transferred to the FCC, at the discretion of the Secretary of Commerce and with notification of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. Although the DTV Delay Act postponed the digital transition deadline to June 12, 2009, many full-power television stations terminated their analog signal early, either before or on February 17, 2009. P.L. 111-4 allowed broadcasters to turn off their analog signals before the June 12 deadline, provided they gave sufficient prior notification to the FCC and to their customers, and provided that the FCC determined that early termination was not contrary to the public interest and that those stations who would switch from a pre-transition digital channel to a different post-transition digital channel would not create interference problems. In markets where all affiliates of the four major networks sought to turn off their analog signal, the FCC required at least one affiliate to maintain an analog signal that provides, at a minimum, local news and emergency information. As of June 3, 2009, 784 stations had terminated their analog service early and 6 more were planning to terminate before June 12. In total, 971 full-power stations terminated their analog signal on June 12. Most major network affiliates, particularly those in the more populous DMAs, did not turn off their analog signal before June 12. Because hundreds of full-power television stations voluntarily turned off their analog signals on February 17, 2009, many viewed that date as a further "dress rehearsal" for the digital transition. Although over-the-air households in early analog termination markets were not completely cut off from analog television service, they were unable to receive one or more channels on their analog televisions unless they had installed a converter box. The FCC's national DTV call center (1-888-CALL-FCC) prepared for peak activity during the week of February 17. According to the FCC, early results of the digital transition were "encouraging," but large challenges remained because most of the stations terminating their analog signals were located in smaller markets. According to FCC call center data, over 32% of calls on February 18 were from consumers who had questions on reception and technical issues. As of June 12, 2009, all full-power television stations in the United States no longer broadcast an analog signal. Between June 8 and June 15, the FCC's consumer help line received over 900,000 calls for assistance or information.