Help the less fortunate get their DTV in February

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: Co-op for converter coupons : How we can help those denied the TV device discount : : David Jackson could use your help. : So could Sunny Campbell. : Both applied for TV converter box coupons but were denied because of glitches in the system. : They are, it turns out, the tip of the iceberg. : Since the Problem Solver first wrote about the federally backed coupon program in late August, more than a dozen people have written in with similar tales of converter box woe. : The Problem Solver believes some things are sacred. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. And the freedom to watch television, even after stations are required to broadcast their signals digitally starting in February. : So the Problem Solver is implementing his own program, designed to get the converter box coupons into the hands of people who need them. He's even given it a catchy name: Converter Boxes For Everyone, or CBFE for short. : Here's how it works: Each U.S. household is eligible for two $40 coupons. But if the coupons get lost in the mail, expire or if the program's computer incorrectly shows your address already received the coupons, the government will not send you any more. : So the Problem Solver is making a plea. : If you have cable, satellite television or a digital TV, you do not need a converter box, nor the converter box coupons. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't get them. : Apply now at dtv2009.gov and once they arrive, send them to the Problem Solver. The Problem Solver will then send them to readers who need them, such as Jackson and Campbell. : Sound a bit hinky? Don't worry, the federal government is on board. : "Share the love," said Bart Forbes, a spokesman for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which oversees the federal coupon program. "The coupons are transferable. So as long as you don't sell them, we really don't care. We want to get as many of them out there as possible." : In fact, Forbes said, some prisons have begun collecting donated coupons so they can buy converter boxes. The fear is inmates will become unruly if their televisions no longer work. : If prisoners are receiving donated converter box coupons, the fine readers of this column certainly deserve a little help. : But act quickly, the clock is ticking. : Starting Feb. 17, all full-power stations will broadcast exclusively with a digital signal. Older televisions and those not hooked up to cable or a satellite dish will need a converter box to work. At least 19.6 million households receive over-the-air signals exclusively in their homes, according to the National Association of Broadcasters. Overall, nearly 70 million television sets are at risk of losing their signals. : The $40 coupons are designed to help defray the cost of the switch. Converter boxes generally cost $40 to $70 each. Many of those who need them, like Jackson, are senior citizens on fixed incomes. : The Country Club Hills man said he applied for his coupons and was approved, but he never received them. When he filed an appeal, the government said he was out of luck. He was marked in the system as having received the coupons, so the program would not send him any more. : "I fought with them for over a month. It's like they have form-letter answers. It's a lost cause with them," Jackson said. "If I had hair to pull out …" : Campbell of Cary said she too applied for the coupons and was approved but never received them. : "It's absolutely frustrating," she said. "I thought maybe of getting cable, but I don't watch enough TV. … I couldn't really justify paying $40 a month for cable." : Jackson and Campbell said they would be overjoyed if readers donated coupons on their behalf. : "That's awesome," Campbell said. : It's easy to apply : How the Converter Boxes For Everyone, or CBFE, program, works: : If you need converter box coupons: E-mail the Problem Solver at yourproblem@tribune.com with your name, full address and telephone number. You can also write to What's Your Problem?, Converter Box, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. When coupons arrive from fellow readers, the Problem Solver will send them to you. : If you want to donate converter box coupons: First e-mail or write to What's Your Problem? and say you want to participate in the program. Then apply for the coupons at dtv2009.gov, or by calling 888-388-2009. Once the coupons arrive, send them to the Problem Solver at the above address. He will forward them to a deserving reader. : Don't worry. It's not hard. The Problem Solver applied online Wednesday afternoon. It took about a minute. The coupons are scheduled to be sent on Oct. 24. : (Jon Yates, Chicago Tribune)

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