(28 January 2009 8:30 pm)

MUMBAI: The US Senate has passed a bill that would delay the transition of American television to digital in a bid to give consumers more time to make the switch.

The original date for the changeover was 17 February. However, the Senate has voted to delay the date until 12 June as the move would give consumers the time to obtain $40 vouchers towards the purchase of digital TV converter boxes for analog televisions.

The main reason that US President Barack Obama has cited for the quick move to put off the transition is that there are an estimated 6.5 million American homes that are not ready for the transition.

The House of Representatives will vote on the bill now.

Meanwhile, cable companies and broadcasters believe that they will incur additional costs if the deadline is extended by another four months as they have already spent millions of dollars preparing consumers for the transition.