The US House of Representatives has approved February 17, 2009 as the hard cut-off date for the transition from analogue to digital TV broadcasting, according to the leading US consumer-electronics trade magazine TWICE.

TWICE reports that the date was approved as part of a budget-reconciliation bill - but only on a very tight, 216-214, vote and now passes for presidential approval having already been approved by the Senate.

An auction to wireless-service providers of the freed-up analogue TV spectrum is, TWICE says, expected to raise $10 billion. But, cost will be incurred in running an education program alerting consumers the approaching switch-over and telling them to acquire digital-to-analog converter boxes to watching free terrestrial broadcasts on current analogue TVsets.

The package also includes a subsidy of up to $1.5 billion for D-to-A converter boxes for lower-income viewers without cable or satellite subscriptions.

Check out the full TWICE story (registration may be required).