[RTC List] Broadcast DTV conversion update from the Feds

Sat Jun 14 10:51:43 PDT 2008

Headlines following US House Hearing this week on DTV:

HOUSE DTV HEARING RECAP

<http://money.cnn.com/rssclick/2008/06/10/technology/digital_TV.ap/index.htm?section=money_technology>MANY 
TV VIEWERS UNPREPARED FOR SWITCH
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Kim Hart]
Nearly half of the households that could lose television service after 
the transition to digital broadcasting are still unprepared for the 
switch, according to a report released yesterday by the Government 
Accountability Office. The report found that many consumers are still 
confused about how to get ready for the transition, underscoring 
lawmakers' concerns that millions of TV viewers could be faced with a 
blank screen. The GAO report found that about 84 percent of consumers 
were aware of the transition but that many did not know what they needed 
to do to continue getting service. More than half the 1,010 people 
surveyed said they knew about the government program to get coupons to 
help pay for converter boxes that allow analog TVs to receive digital 
broadcasts, but two-thirds of the people who want a coupon didn't know 
how to get one. Even consumers who will not be affected are confused, 
the report found. About 30 percent of the respondents indicated they had 
plans to ready themselves for the transition, even though they do not 
have to do anything to maintain service.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002683.html
(requires registration)

US COULD FACE GLITCH IN TV CONVERTER BOX PROGRAM
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Peter Kaplan]
Bernadette McGuire-Rivera, associate director of the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, told the House 
Telecommunications Subcommittee that it was possible the agency "would 
have to get more money, basically to buy more stamps to send out 
coupons" to subsidize converter boxes that some TV owners will need for 
the February 2009 digital television switchover. The government began 
mailing coupons on February 21. As of June 3, it had received requests 
for more than 16 million coupons, McGuire-Rivera said in a prepared 
statement. But extra coupon mailings could be needed because many people 
who applied for them did not use them before they expired. Only 42 
percent of the coupons sought by consumers were being redeemed before 
they expired, according to NTIA figures. Funds for expired, unredeemed 
coupons are being returned to the subsidy program and will be available 
so more coupons can be mailed. But McGuire-Rivera said, "The program 
currently has limited administrative funds to distribute additional 
numbers of coupons that might be issued from the returned funds." The 
NTIA issued a statement after the hearing saying it "has no plans to ask 
Congress for any additional funds." A more accurate forecast of the 
costs would be possible sometime after July 1, when NTIA gets further 
redemption information.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN1038392820080611
* More Mixed DTV News from GAO (Broadcasting&Cable)
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6568962.html?rssid=193
* Analog Turnoff Could Affect 34% of U.S. Households (Broadcasting&Cable)
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6568956.html?rssid=193
* DTV Transition Could Impact Up To One-Third Of U.S. Households: Survey 
(Multichannel News)
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6568721.html?nid=4262

LAWMAKERS CITE PROBLEMS WITH DIGITAL TV CONVERTER-BOX COUPONS
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: ] 
Some Americans are finding the government-issued coupons used to help 
pay for digital television converter boxes are expiring before they can 
be redeemed, House lawmakers said Tuesday. Consumers also are having a 
tough time finding converter boxes, which are sold out in some stores, 
and should be given more time to buy them even after the coupons expire, 
several lawmakers said during a House Commerce subcommittee hearing. "If 
you can't get a box within the 90 days, what good is this?" said Rep 
Bart Stupak (D-MI), who held up one of the coupons that resemble plastic 
gift cards. The government established a $1.5 billion coupon program to 
help millions of consumers buy the converter boxes before the nationwide 
transition to digital programming in February. Households are eligible 
for two $40 coupons, which are aimed primarily at up to 21 million 
owners of the older-model sets that rely on antennas to watch TV. If 
they don't get a converter box when the country's broadcasters complete 
the switchover, they will wind up staring at a blank screen. Cable and 
satellite TV subscribers do not need the boxes. Overall, about 8.5 
million households have requested 16 million coupons since the program 
started earlier this year, according to the National Telecommunications 
and Information Administration, which is overseeing the coupon program. 
Nearly three million coupons have been redeemed so far.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121315741044663711.html?mod=todays_us_personal_journal
http://money.cnn.com/rssclick/2008/06/10/technology/digital_TV.ap/index.htm?section=money_technology
<http://money.cnn.com/rssclick/2008/06/10/technology/digital_TV.ap/index.htm?section=money_technology>

<http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6568721.html?nid=4262>MARKEY, 
DINGELL AT HOUSE DTV HEARING
[SOURCE: House of Representatives Commerce Committee]
House Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA) held the 
fifth in a series of oversight hearings on the Digital Television (DTV) 
Transition which will take place in February of 2009. Chairman Markey 
highlighted new information from the Government Accountability Office 
(see link to report below). With respect to the converter box program, 
only 55 percent of consumers reported being aware of it.  In addition, 
of those consumers who said they intend to purchase a box, only 
one-third were aware of how to actually obtain a coupon. The GAO data 
also indicate some significant consumer confusion.  For instance, of 
those consumers considered at risk of losing television service, some 45 
percent plan inadequate or no action to prepare for the transition.  
Conversely, of those consumers in a 'low risk' category - in other 
words, consumers who should not need converter boxes because all their 
TVs are connected to cable or satellite service - some 15 percent 
indicated they would purchase a converter box even though they don't 
need one.  And 86 percent of these households indicated they would 
utilize the NTIA program to do so.  House Commerce Committee Chairman 
John Dingell (D-MI) said, "When 54 percent of households have inadequate 
or no plans for the transition, despite being at risk of losing service, 
it demonstrates that there is still much to be done before February 17, 
2009." He asked, "Will funding for the TV Converter Box Coupon Program 
be sufficient, or will some consumers be left without assistance? How 
will NTIA and IBM facilitate the changeover from the first phase of the 
TV Converter Box Coupon Program, in which any household can apply for up 
to two coupons, to the second phase, in which coupons are restricted to 
only over-the-air households? Will the FCC and NTIA have sufficient 
resources to educate consumers in every community to the same extent as 
was done in the Wilmington test market? If not, how much of an actual 
indicator for the nationwide transition will this test market be? What 
resources are available to assist consumers who may need in-home 
assistance to set up their converter boxes? If consumers hook up their 
converter box and it fails to deliver digital signals, how will they 
know whether the converter box is broken or if a new rooftop antenna or 
some other technological fix is needed? In some viewing areas, a 
broadcaster's digital signal will cover different areas than the 
broadcaster's current analog signal. How will consumers know if they 
fall inside a broadcaster's analog footprint, but outside of its digital?"
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3388&Itemid=141
<http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3388&Itemid=141>* 
Chairman Dingell's statement
http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110st171.shtml

NEW GAO REPORT ON THE DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION
[SOURCE: Government Accountability Office, AUTHOR: Mark L. Goldstein]
Digital Television Transition:  Broadcasters' Transition Status, 
Low-Power Station Issues, and Information on Consumer Awareness of the 
DTV Transition
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-881T
* Highlights
http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08881thigh.pdf

KEVIN MARTIN'S TESTIMONY
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: FCC Chairman Kevin 
Martin]
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin told the House Telecommunications Subcommittee 
that a successful digital transition will depend upon minimizing the 
burdens placed on consumers and maximizing their ability to benefit from 
it. he noted that new FCC rules clarified cable and satellite companies 
were required to carry digital broadcast signals to their customers just 
as they do the analog broadcast signals today. The FCC also ordered 
cable operators to continue to make every broadcast station's signal 
viewable.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-282817A1.doc

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<http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6568925.html?rssid=193> 
<http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6568925.html?rssid=193>

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