On Wednesday, key members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce wrote to the United States Postmaster General to urge that the Postal Service give priority status to coupons being mailed to consumers as part of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Digital Television Converter Box Program.

The letter was signed by Reps. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas), the chairman and ranking member of the committee, and Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), the chairman and ranking member of the Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee.

Since January of 2007, the Committee has held five hearings on the status of the digital television transition.

Among the points made in the letter was that since the converter box coupon expires 90 days after the date it is mailed by NTIA, "it is essential that consumers receive these coupons as quickly as possible.  To keep administrative costs down, NTIA is mailing coupons Standard Class rather than First Class.  Because of the limited amount of time consumers have to use their coupons, as well as the overall importance of a successful DTV transition for the Government, public safety, consumers, and industry, we strongly urge you to give mailed coupons priority status so households receive them promptly.

"Television is the predominant medium through which Americans receive critical public safety information and is one of the chief conduits for news and political discourse, as well as entertainment. Timely delivery of TV converter box coupons will therefore become increasingly important the closer we get to the transition date for those households that need a converter box and have not yet requested coupons."