US House forces digital TV shift

The US House of Representatives, in a setback to new President Barack Obama, on Wednesday rejected his call to delay next month's nationwide shift to digital television.

The Senate unanimously agreed on Monday to delay the switch from an analog to a digital signal, which had been scheduled for February 17, until June 12 but the House rejected the move in a 258 to 168 vote on Wednesday.

The vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed for passage of the bill without amendments.

Members of the Democratic-controlled House are expected to bring it back to the floor again to try to secure passage with a simple majority.

Before he took office, Mr Obama's transition team had called for a switch to digital to be delayed, arguing that many people were not yet ready for the end of analog broadcasting by the major US television networks.

The government has been providing Americans who rely on over-the-air signals with a $40 coupon to defray the cost of buying a digital converter box.

But the coupon programme has run out of funds and, according to research firm Nielsen Co., more than 6.5 million American households are not prepared for the move.

Many of the unprepared are low-income households, minorities, seniors or disabled, according to Nielsen.

The switch to digital television will free up wireless airwaves for public safety agencies and other advanced mobile services.