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FCC Steps Up Efforts to Publicize Digital Transition

Aug 18, 2008  •  Post A Comment

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin is announcing a major increase in the agency’s efforts to publicize the nation’s digital TV transition, including events in more than 80 cities featuring FCC commissioners.
Mr. Martin said today that the agency is targeting cities where either 100,000 households or more than 15% of households rely solely on over-the-air signals. The FCC will hold a town hall meeting, a workshop or a roundtable in each city that will include an FCC commissioner.
The first event will be Aug. 27 in Anchorage, Alaska, and events will continue at least weekly through December. Broadcasters have agreed to publicize the events.
“This unprecedented nationwide tour by the entire commission is part of our commitment to prepare and educate consumers about the digital television transition,” said Mr. Martin.
The announcement comes six months before the nation’s switchover takes place Feb. 17. Congress has continued to criticize the FCC for not doing enough to educate consumers about the digital transition.
Mr. Martin, however, said the outreach reflects Congress’ decision to let the FCC use up to $12 million to publicize the DTV transition, with some of the money now being spent on travel and events in the communities.
Besides the events, the FCC is launching a speakers’ bureau to help local groups arrange speakers on the transition.
In other DTV news, Wilmington, N.C., broadcasters who are to switch to DTV Sept. 8 in an early test of the transition, announced today that while they don’t expect to air analog programming after the switch, they will air graphics on analog channels telling viewers they need to get converter boxes to receive programming. They also said that in the event of a weather emergency, they could temporarily air emergency weather information on the analog channels.

5 Comments

  1. we live in upstate n.y. our tv signals are 40-65 miles away i have a vhf uhf antenna on 30′ tower with rotoe and amp. we have very good signals 0n 4 channels when i try the stations digital signals they are not strong enough to get through trees and hills.called the stations and was told that due to hills trees we will not receive digital signals. we have 2 tv’s with digital tuners.wehn the analog stations go off air we lose all tv stations but ch 18 pbs dtv. thanks ed

  2. My parents in NY are less than 40 mi. from 2 Buffalo antennas (get 3 stations now). Hooked up a mid-range antenna on a 20′ pole & got NO digital signal. It is a waste of time & money to “educate consumers” to try a converter box when there is NO Signal. How many people are going to be without any TV after the switch???? Who’s going to pay for the translator towers so there is “free TV” available????

  3. HOW DO I TURN MY OUTDOOR ATENNA TO THE POSITION I NEED THANK YOU

  4. Great post!

  5. I have found your site on page one of google. Congratulations 🙂

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