WASHINGTON -- Congress decreed the end of TV as we know it Wednesday as the U.S. House of Representatives approved a $39 billion budget-cutting measure that requires broadcasters to turn off their current analog channels by 2009.

The budget legislation, which was approved on a razor-thin 216-214 vote makes modest cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and student loan subsidies and adds $10 billion in new revenues from auctioning television airwaves to the highest bidder.

A nearly identical bill passed the House in December, but the House was forced to vote on the legislation again because Senate Democrats forced technical changes that the House needed to accept before the bill can be sent to Bush's desk.

Republicans said the measure is a necessary first step to reining in the burgeoning growth in so-called mandatory spending programs like Medicare, which threaten to swamp the budget with the retirement of the baby boom generation.

"The Deficit Reduction Act seeks to curb the unsustainable growth rate of mandatory programs that are set to consume 62% of our total federal budget in the next decade if left unchecked," said Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla. He said many such programs "are outdated, inefficient and excessively costly."

But Democrats attacked the measure, especially for its cuts to the federal child support enforcement program and for allowing states to reduce Medicaid coverage and charge increased fees for the Medicaid program for the poor and disabled.

Democrats contended the budget bill concentrates spending cuts on vulnerable groups like Medicaid beneficiaries while protecting powerful corporate interests like drug manufacturers and health insurance companies, which won big victories in end-stage negotiations carried on behind closed doors.

"This is a product of special interest lobbying and the stench of special interests hangs over the chamber," said Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich.

Democrats also said the measure, when combined with an upcoming bill cutting taxes by about $70 billion, would lead to an increase in the deficit.

While most of the debate over the legislation was concerned with cuts in welfare and other social programs, the legislation would end the transmission system broadcasters have used since the dawn of the television era.

Under the legislation, broadcasters will have to end their analog broadcasts, switching over to digital television. DTV gives broadcasters the ability to air one or two high-definition TV channels or several standard definition channels. HDTV gives viewers a movie-quality picture and CD-quality sound.

The DTV transition has been grinding along for decades. Under current law, broadcasters are required to vacate their current frequencies this year or when digital TV reaches 85% of the television audience, whichever is later. Critics contend that the 85% threshold is one unlikely to be reached.

While around 16% of U.S. television watchers do not get cable or satellite TV and depend only on over-the-air transmissions, there are many more TVs that use only an antenna to receive programming.

In order to prevent viewers from being cut off from their TVs, Congress included a $1.5 billion program designed to give viewers up to $80 to buy set-top boxes or other means to receive digital signals. The National Assn. of Broadcasters estimates that there are 73 million TV sets operating nationwide.