Those freaking out about the impending switch from analog to digital television have scored a break: the Senate today passed a bill that pushes the changeover date from February 17 to June 12. (For all the details click here.) Lawmakers apparently feared that people are still unprepared for the great digital leap forward.

The move isn't surprising given all the confusion and misinformation surrounding the changeover (I have a digital TV AND cable and I still see the warning message that's only supposed to pop up on soon-to-be-outmoded TVs). And studies suggest that there are up to 20 million households -- mostly the poor and the elderly -- that have not gotten the equipment to prepare for the change, although other research puts that number closer to 6 million.

Obviously that's a problem, but at the same time, NOBODY should be unaware that this was coming. They've been talking about the switch to digital since I was in college, and I graduated 10 years ago. If you don't know that you need a digital converter box, a digital television, or cable, you must be living in a hole in the ground. And ultimately, what's the worst that could happen? People suddenly find themselves unable to watch new episodes of "Heroes" or "American Idol"? Boo freaking hoo. It's not like we're talking about the necessities of life here. And the fact that part of the motivation for pushing back the move is that millions of Americans are waitlisted for the coupons the government has been sending out to cover the $40 converter box is similarly worrisome. We're in a serious economic crisis, and we're spending millions of dollars to help people watch TV? That doesn't seem right to me when people are losing their jobs left and right.