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The End of Television

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That leaves me with only two options, one which I've resisted since day one: get a dish. I don't want to spend the money and I can't afford another monthly bill, particularly in times like these. I don't have that much need or desire for all those many channels. I looked into a dish at one point when I thought it would be a good thing for me to have high-speed internet service (I have dial-up which, like the cable TV situation, is not a matter of choice) and they advised me that the only place they could put the dish would be smack in front of my house, i.e., smack in my view. No thank you. The other option, obviously, is to do without.

So now the government has extended to deadline for "The End of Television in Rural Areas" to June. But, alas, some of the stations I now receive have decided that, due to the fact that they have invested so much in this big changeover, they are going with the deadline anyway. That's today. I bid a fond farewell and shed a small tear for two fewer options. Now I'm down to four channels.

Now what? I've got the converter box all primed and ready to go. I've got another coupon for the other TV (I didn't want to buy two until I knew what one would do) and that expires today. What a mess. I've heard that the option, even with a converter box, will void and networks will blend into cable or satellite, which will signal the end of a long run of "Free Television." There are a lot of us out here who cannot or will not pay the price. Maybe we're just that much better off.