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Dept. of Commerce
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Press
Release: Commerce’s NTIA Meeting and Expo Showcases
Consumer Education Efforts for Digital TV Transition
and Converter Box Coupon Program
Public, Private Education Efforts Pave the Way for Successful Transition
For Immediate Release: Sept. 25, 2007
Media Contact: Todd Sedmak, (202) 482-7002 or tsedmak@ntia.doc.gov
WASHINGTON--The Commerce Department’s National
Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA) meeting and expo today showcased consumer
education efforts by government, industry and advocates
to inform all U.S. households about the digital
television transition and the Digital-to-Analog
Converter Box Coupon Program. Consumers may
use converter boxes to continue using analog televisions
for free, over-the-air broadcasts after February
17, 2009, when stations convert to all-digital
signals.
“These partnerships with government, industry and advocacy
groups are a critical step in ensuring that all U.S. households
including seniors, rural and low-income residents, minorities,
and the disabled, are informed about the digital transition,” said
John Kneuer, NTIA Administrator and Commerce’s Assistant
Secretary of Communication and Information. “These
efforts will assist NTIA greatly in educating all consumers
about the Converter Box Coupon Program.”
Other Coupon Program and digital television transition
efforts include:
- NTIA has certified two converter box models
from Digital STREAM Technology Inc., as the first
coupon-eligible converter boxes;
- RadioShack, with its 4,400 stores, intends
to participate in the Coupon Program, to train
its sales associates on the transition and the
program, and to engage in consumer education
efforts, both in its stores and on its website;
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services’ Administration
on Aging (AoA) is working with NTIA on creative
ways to distribute Coupon Program information
to two million seniors served by the Home Delivered
Meals Program and exploring existing avenues,
such as the Elder Care Locator, the 800 number,
radio programs, and newsletters to inform seniors
in all 50 states and territories about the Coupon
Program;
- The Veterans Administration (VA) will work
with NTIA to ensure that digital transition information
and Coupon Program applications are available
in 155 VA hospitals and 1,000 clinics, and the
VA will inform 240,000 VA employees; 1 million
VA volunteers; and more than 1 million veterans
not served by the VA about the transition;
- On February 17, 2008, Retirement Living
TV will start its nationwide, mobile "Retired & Wired:
RLTV Digital Tour” to educate seniors about
the Coupon Program;
- The 225,000 members of the Family, Career
and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) in nearly
7,000 chapters in 50 states, the District of
Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto
Rico will partner with Best Buy Co., Inc., along
with its Best Buy and Geek Squad brands, to help
educate the elderly, rural residents and others
about the Coupon Program;
- The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB),
the National Cable & Telecommunications
Association (NCTA) and the Consumer Electronics
Association (CEA) will provide public service
announcements and consumer education, worth hundred
of millions of dollars;
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative
State Research, Education, and Extension Service
will distribute Coupon Program information throughout
every U.S. county;
- The American Library Association’s 65,000
members will work with NTIA to inform the public
and librarians about the digital transition and
will work with librarians to post information
about the Coupon Program at their libraries and
on their Web sites;
- NTIA, Panasonic Corporation, and the Southeast
Asia Resource Action Center are working together
to provide information to the public in Chinese,
Vietnamese, Korean and the Filipino language,
Tagalog. The Center will distribute information
and will encourage the Cambodian-American, Laotian-American,
and Vietnamese-American communities to use the
Government’s multilingual call center to
apply for coupons;
- Entravision Communications Corp. will use their Spanish-language media assets
including TV and radio stations, and outdoor
billboards to reach nearly 70 percent of all
U.S. Hispanics in 51 primary television station
markets across the United States about the digital
transition;
- The Digital TV Transition Coalition, which
consists of more than 160 national organizations
and industry partners, will work to ensure no
consumer is left without broadcast television
because of a lack of information about the transition.
Background:
The Digital Television Transition and Public Safety
Act of 2005 requires full-power television stations
to cease analog broadcasts and switch to digital
after February 17, 2009. The Act also authorizes
NTIA to create the Digital-to-Analog Converter
Box Coupon Program.
Digital television provides consumers with a clearer picture,
more programming and frees up much needed spectrum for advanced
wireless broadband services and interoperable communications
among emergency first responders.
By February 17, 2009, consumers receiving their
programming “over the air” with an
analog television will need to make one of three
choices about how to watch TV after that date:
(1) purchase a digital converter for their existing
analog TV; (2) subscribe to and check with their
cable or satellite providers; or (3) purchase a
new television with a digital tuner.
All U.S. households may request up to two, $40
coupons to be used toward the purchase of up to
two, digital-to-analog converter boxes, starting
January 1, 2008, by calling 1-888-DTV-2009.
For more information about the digital transition
and the Coupon Program, go to www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon.
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Click or call for coupons:
1-888-388-2009
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