Unless the deadline is extended again, mid-valley residents who get TV reception over the air have less than a month to make arrangements.

June 12 is the deadline when stations must quit broadcasting their analog signals. Limited experience so far suggests that on that day, people without cable or satellite service will lose most of the television stations they can watch now.

There are ways to prevent this, but they are cumbersome. In addition to getting and installing converter boxes, they involve getting new antennas and various bits of equipment to direct those aerials to specific digital broadcast towers near Portland or Eugene. Chances are that if people want TV, they'll eventually give up and subscribe to cable or a dish system, vastly more expensive than getting the signal free.

Congress ordered this change to free up frequencies for other applications, most of them of a commercial nature. When this was done, several years ago, nobody raised or heeded the complaint that for many people outside metropolitan areas, this would spell the end of free TV.

Congressman Peter DeFazio has tried to make amends for Congress' disregard of rural residents. He offered legislation to require cable and satellite companies to offer a very low-cost option of basic service to people in places where digital TV can't reach. At last report his proposal has seen no action, and it's not likely that this will change.

Let's remember that this action by the government doesn't hurt or even affect people affluent enough to pay for cable and satellite packages. People who are poor or economy-minded are the ones who get hurt. (hh)