Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Digital TV Transition Deadline Delay The good news is that Congress and the President moved the analog to digital TV signal transition deadline that requires television stations to stop analog broadcast signals from February 17 (tomorrow) to June 12. They did this to give those with analog TVs some time to be able to receive digital signals. The bad news is that not all stations will wait until June 12 to end their analog broadcasts. The Federal Communications Commission reports that approximately 650 of the 1800 full-power stations plan to end analog broadcasts on February 17, so if you have an analog TV and no converter box you may notice some channels missing. UPDATE: Last night the FCC released a list of channels that will end analog broadcast on February 17. If you have an analog TV and want to know what you need do to get prepared check out this DTV FAQ, watch the video below or call a DTV call center. What do you think of the government's action to delay the digital TV transition deadline? Do you find it helpful or unnecessary? On Februray 17th Gov Gab will be turning the keys over to our new substitute blogger Leilani who will post about the DTV transition in Spanish to assist our Spanish readers. Or as she would say: Mañana Gov Gab hará algo un poco distinto y le dará la bienvenida a Leilani, nuestro nuevo blogger substituto, quien presentará información en español sobre este mismo tema - la transición a la televisión digital - para ayudar a nuestros lectores de habla hispana. - Jake [Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog] 10:13:37 AM     Unemployment Insurance Program Video To Be Distributed to Michigan Works! Agencies and Public Libraries. To make information about the state's unemployment insurance program available to as many people as possible, the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) has created a video about the state's Unemployment Insurance program for use at Michigan Works! Agencies (MWA) and public libraries across the state. "Over the past several weeks, Michigan Works! Agencies have been flooded with questions about unemployment insurance from jobless workers who haven't been able to reach UIA staff because the heavy call volumes we've been experiencing," UIA Director Stephen Geskey said. "To help answer many of the general questions that people have about Michigan's UI program, we developed, in cooperation with the MWAs, a video for use in their offices." In developing the video entitled "Filing Your Claim for Unemployment Benefits & Finding a Job: A UIA & MWA Partnership," UIA sought feedback about the script from Michigan Works! and shot some of the scenes for the video in one of their offices. The Agency has begun distributing the 17-minute video to MWA service centers around the state and will soon begin issuing it to the nearly 700 public libraries in Michigan. In addition to the video, the Agency recently provided MWAs with a desk aid for Michigan Works staff to use in answering some of the more commonly asked questions about unemployment benefits. "We know that MWAs have been receiving many questions about unemployment benefits from their customers," Geskey said, "and we want to ensure that staffs at Michigan Works agencies and public libraries have the correct information to share with their customers." The Agency also has plans for placing the video on its website. Source : "UIA MAKES UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH LOCAL MICHIGAN WORKS! AGENCIES", Michigan Newswire, February 17, 2009. [Red Tape Blog] 10:10:56 AM

© Copyright 2009 Jocelyn Shaw. Last update: 3/2/2009; 11:02:01 AM. Photo curtesy of Marjorie O'Brien