Thursday, a senior Democratic senator introduced legislation aimed at delaying the transition from analog television to digital TV until June 12, claiming that viewers needed more time to prepare for the change.

The switch to digital TV has been previously scheduled for February 17 and anyone who owns an older television set has to buy a converter box, a digital TV set or subscribe to satellite or digital cable service in order to continue receiving signal.

Senator John Rockefeller of West Virginia, who is the incoming chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, stated that more than two million Americans were still waiting to get a coupon to help them purchase a converter box, while millions others had been poorly informed concerning the transition.

Moreover, Rockefeller said that delaying the switch for three months would give the federal government enough time to provide everybody with a $40 voucher to offset the cost of a converter box and also to get ready for the change.

Currently, many Democratic lawmakers have voiced their concerns that approximately 20 million Americans, mostly poor, elderly or living in rural areas, were not properly prepared for the transition, while some Republicans are opposing a postponement.

President-elect Barack Obama agrees with the idea of delaying the switch.

Earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) informed that 18 percent of the nation’s television stations would have a digital signal that would reach about 2 percent fewer viewers than they used to through analog broadcast.

Moreover, given that digital TV offers either a clear picture or no picture at all, people who are currently getting fuzzy reception will get no reception once the transition takes place.

Therefore, they will need both a converter box and a more powerful indoor or outdoor antenna, but unfortunately, the government does not subsidize for the latter piece of equipment that costs between $75 and $150.