The federal government has run out of money faster than expected to help you buy a new digital converter box.

Up until now, the government had been offering two forty–dollar vouchers to go towards the cost of buying a converter box for old analogue televisions.
But the Department of Commerce announced today the entire 1.34–billion dollars available for the program has been committed.
Now anyone applying for a coupon will be put on a waiting list.
The converter box is needed for any household that uses an antenna to watch television.
"If you have an antenna service, it is going to go dark in February. For all the people that have existing televisions that are not digital, this converter box is the only lifeline to have a picture after that," said Jim Torok at Sherman's.

You can still apply for a coupon and be put on a waiting list by using our website at week.com.... click on news links.
Officials with the Commerce Department are hoping Congress will approve more money for the coupon program.
Our analog signal will be turned off permanently on February 17th.
Next Wednesday, January 15, at 6:30, WEEK is hosting a half hour special on the digital conversion.