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Published on Friday, September 05, 2008
By LA Daily News Staff Writer
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The big switch to digital TV has prison officials scrambling to keep one of the most important peacekeeping tools in prisons across the nation - broadcast television.
When the nation's broadcasters make the switch from analog to digital signals next Feb. 17, televisions that aren't hooked up to cable, satellite or a converter box will be reduced to static. While TV might seem like an undeserved luxury for inmates, prison officials and inmates say the tube does more than fill year after year of idle hours - it provides a sense of normalcy and is a bargaining chip that encourages good behavior.
The TV industry has spent months preparing consumers for the switch, running ads and offering government-funded coupons that can be redeemed for the converter boxes needed to display the digital signal on older TVs. But officials worry that prisoners may be left to stare at blank screens because they don't qualify for the $40 coupons
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