Among the many projects supported by the economic stimulus bill, the transition to digital television (DTV) continues with more than 12 million new coupons now available to the public. The government claims the availability of $40 coupons will reduce the backlog of four million households.
The Asian Pacific Islander (API) community has been waiting for more coupons — in confusion. Although the Nielsen Media Research group reports that more than 90 percent of the U.S. population has made the DTV switch, that number is drastically lower in the API community.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) began accepting converter box coupon applications to those households that have expired or misplaced coupons on March 24.
Seattle families, in this situation, can reapply for $40 coupons to help reduce the cost of a new converter box. ♦
For more information about the coupons, call the NAPCA National Multilingual Toll-Free Helpline at 1-800-336-2722 (English), 1-800-582-4218 (Chinese), 1-800-582-4336 (Vietnamese), and 1-800-582-4259 (Korean). To donate coupons, visit www.youngstownarts.org.