What Senior Citizens Need to Know About Transition to Digital TV to be Presented Next Week

Sept. 20, 2007 – A hearing yesterday by the Senate aging committee focused on the lack of information available to senior citizens pertaining to the mandatory transition from analog television broadcast to digital. A highlight of the hearing was the apparent confusion among federal agencies about who is responsible for educating the public. A good example is that there will be two major public meetings in Washington next week to explore all aspects of this major change in American life, but they are sponsored by different agencies.

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Aging Committee Finds Need to Educate Senior Citizens on Change to Digital TV

Nation changes to digital TV on Feb. 17, 2009 and senior citizens may be in the dark

Sept. 19, 2007

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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. 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” will need to make one of three choices about how to watch TV after that date:
(1) purchase a digital converter for their existing TV;
(2) subscribe to and check with their cable or satellite providers; or
(3) purchase a new television with a digital tuner. The expo will provide the public an opportunity to examine each of these options.

The Act also authorizes The National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) of the Commerce Department to create the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program.

FCC Adopts Rules to Ensure all Cable Customers Receive Local TV Stations After the Digital Television Transition

On September 11, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) today adopted rules to ensure all cable subscribers, including those with analog TV sets, can view broadcast television after the transition to digital television occurs on February 17, 2009. Approximately 35 percent of all television homes, or approximately 40 million households, are analog-only cable subscribers. The Commission is committed to ensuring that the 98 million TV viewers watching roughly 120 million sets retain the same access to their local stations after the transition as they do today.

By statute, cable operators must make local broadcasters’ primary video and program-related material viewable by all of their subscribers. The FCC’s ruling today allows cable operators to comply with the viewability requirement by choosing to either: (1) carry the digital signal in analog format, or (2) carry the signal only in digital format, provided that all subscribers have the necessary equipment to view the broadcast content. The viewability requirements extend to February 2012 with the Commission committing to review them during the last year of this period in light of the state of technology and the marketplace.

In addition, a cable system with activated channel capacity of 552 megahertz or less may request a waiver of the viewability requirements. The Commission is also seeking comment in a Further Notice on ways to minimize any economic impact on small cable operators while still complying with the statutory requirements for carriage of local TV stations.

While the item provides cable operators with flexibility, the FCC reaffirmed the requirement that cable systems must carry high definition (“HD”) broadcast signals in HD format and reaffirmed its current material degradation standard. Cable operators must carry broadcast signals so that the picture quality is at least as good as the quality of any other programming carried on the system.

The Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program

Under the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program, eligible U.S. households may obtain up to two coupons of $40 each to be applied toward the purchase of digital-to-analog converter boxes that will convert digital broadcast signals for display on analog television sets. The Act authorizes NTIA to use up to $990 million to carry out the program, including up to $100 million for program administration, of which $5 million can be used for consumer education. It also authorizes an additional $5 10 million in contingent funding to be available upon 60 days advance notice to Congress.

The first opportunity for the public to get a very broad picture of what will happen as we move to digital television will be on Tuesday. The National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) of the Commerce Department will hold the “Digital Television Transition Public Meeting and Expo.” It opens at 9 a.m. at the Commerce Department, 1401 Constitution Ave. N.W. (Use 14^th St. entrance) and will be over by 1 p.m.

“The public should not be caught by surprise by the digital television transition on February 17, 2009, which is nearly 500 days away,” said John Kneuer, NTIA Administrator and Assistant Secretary of Communication and Information. “This meeting is one example of leaders in government, industry and advocacy groups working together to educate consumers on the transition to digital TV.”

The second meeting is the following day, Wednesday, at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 445 12th St., NW, Washington, DC, in the Commission Meeting Room. It will begin at 8:00 AM and end at 4:15 PM. It is called the “Digital Television Consumer Education Workshop.”

The difference in the meeting is that the NTIA meeting on Tuesday will feature more show-and-tell with exhibits by many of the companies that are active in the development of digital television.

The FCC meeting is heavy on presentations and discussion by government, private and non-profit groups involved in the transition.

Agenda for NTIA presentation on Tuesday

The public may listen to the meeting online at www.ntia.doc.gov starting at 9:30 a.m.

9:00 Digital Television Transition Expo Floor Open to the Public until 1 P.M.

9:30 Welcome

Bernadette McGuire-Rivera, Ph.D., Associate Administrator, NTIA

9:35 Opening Remarks

The Honorable John M. R. Kneuer

Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, NTIA

The Honorable Kevin J. Martin, Chairman, FCC

9:40 Government Partners

The Honorable Jonathan S. Adelstein, Commissioner, FCC
The Honorable Lisette M. Mondello, Assistant Secretary, Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs
The Honorable Roberto Salazar, Administrator, USDA Food and Nutrition Service

10:00 Industry Progress Report (Assistant Secretary Kneuer to moderate)

Kyle McSlarrow, President & CEO, Nat’l Cable & Telecom Assoc.
David Rehr, President & CEO, National Assoc. of Broadcasters
Gary Shapiro, President & CEO, Consumer Electronics Association

10:45 Questions and Comments from the Public

11:00 Coffee Break

11:15 Stakeholder Progress Report (Assistant Secretary Kneuer to moderate)

Michael Benjamin, Exec.Dir., Family, Career and Community Leaders of America
Christopher Hansen, AARP’s Group Exec. Officer for State and Nat’l Initiatives
Larry Harris, Vice President of Merchandising, RadioShack
Loriene Roy, President, American Library Association
Doua Thor, Executive Director, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
Walter Ulloa, Chairman and CEO, Entravision Communications

12:15 Questions and Comments from the Public

12:30 Summary by Assistant Secretary Kneuer and Invite to Explore Expo Floor

Agenda for FCC presentation on Wednesday

A live webcast of the hearing will be available at the FCC’s website at http://www.fcc.gov/realaudio/#sep26 on a first-come, first-served basis.

Federal Communications Commission
Digital Television Consumer Education Workshop

FCC Headquarters, 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554
Commission Meeting Room

September 26, 2007

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. - Pre-Program Demonstrations

- (Demonstrations will include converter box use, digital televisions and comparisons to analog use)

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. - Welcome

- FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin
- FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps
- FCC Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein
- FCC Commissioner Robert M. McDowell (via pre-recorded message)

9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. - Government Update on DTV Transition

- Federal Communications Commission – Cathy Seidel, Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau

- National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce – Tony Wilhelm, Director of Consumer Education

- U.S. Administration on Aging/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Edwin L. Walker, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Programs

10:00a.m. – 11:00a.m. - What is the Industry’s Role in Facilitating the DTV Transition?

Moderator: Cathy Seidel, Chief, FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau

Panelists:

Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition – Marc Pearl, Executive Director
Consumer Electronics Association – Julie Kearney, Senior Director and Regulatory Counsel
National Cable Television Association – Rob Stoddard, Sr. VP, Communications and Public Affairs

National Association of Broadcasters – Jonathan Collegio, VP, Digital Television Transition

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. - Consumer Interest and Advocacy Group Roundtable – Part I (General Consumer Groups)

Moderator: Thomas Wyatt, Deputy Bureau Chief, FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau

Panelists:

Alliance for Public Technology – Sylvia Rosenthal, Executive Director
American Library Association -- Carrie Lowe, Internet Policy Specialist
Association of Public Television Stations – John Lawson, President and CEO
Consumer Action – Linda Sherry, Director of National Priorities
Consumer Federation of America – Dr. Mark Cooper, Director of Research
National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators – Elizabeth Owen, Executive Director
National Consumers League – Susan Grant, VP Public Policy
Consumer’s Union, Gene Kimmelman – Vice President Federal and International Affairs

12:30 p.m. – 12:40 p.m. - Greetings

- FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate

- Meredith Attwell Baker, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, and Deputy National Telecommunications and Information Administration Administrator

12:40 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. - Lunch Break

- Attendees are encouraged to visit the technical demonstrations and have informal discussions with other participants.

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. - Consumer Interest and Advocacy Group Roundtable – Part II (Specific Populations)

Moderator: Nicole McGinnis, Deputy Bureau Chief, FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau

Panelists: -

American Association of People with Disabilities – Jenifer Simpson, Senior Director, Telecommunications and Technology Policy
AARP – Jo Reed, Coordinator for Livable Communities and Consumer Issues
La Raza – Lisa Navarrete, Vice President, Public Information
NAACP – Hilary Shelton, Director NAACP Washington Bureau
National Puerto Rican Coalition – Manual Mirabal, President and CEO
Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association – Noah Cuttler, Director of Regulatory Affairs
U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation – Frank Lopez, President & CEO
Native Public Media – Peggy Berryhill, Director of Services and Planning
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center – Doua Thor, Executive Director

3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. - Wrap Up

3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. - Technical Demonstrations Remain Open

*There will be time for question and answer following each panel discussion.

Links:

>> Main FCC site for information - http://www.dtv.gov/index.html

>> More about the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program:
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/index.html

>> National Telecommunications & Information Administration http://www.ntia.doc.gov/

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