Senior Citizens May Be Left in the Dark When Nation
Switches to Digital TV
Senate Aging committee hearing on lack of
awareness, confusion, senior preparedness
Sept. 17, 2007 – To the dismay of many senior
citizens, the world just keeps on changing. A major change ahead is the
switch to digital television, which many senior citizens may not
understand or be aware is about to happen. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) is so
concerned he has called a hearing of his Senate Special Committee on
Aging for Wednesday to investigate the DTV transition and its
“disproportionate effects on America’s seniors.”
An investigation conducted by the Aging Committee
has revealed that the federal government is drastically unprepared to
educate America’s seniors about the transition, set to take place
February 17, 2009. On that date, households that receive their
television signal over-the-air will lose their free analog signal.
This is considered a public safety issue by Sen.
Kohl, as these households will no longer be able to receive national and
local emergency alerts via television.
A study conducted by the Association of Public
Television Stations (APTS) determined that 61 percent of over-the-air
households have “no idea” the DTV transition is taking place.
A later study commissioned by APTS found that
Americans aged 65 and older are consistently more likely to receive
television signals via an over-the-air antenna than younger Americans,
and are therefore less prepared to transition from analog to
digital-only television. The study concluded that seniors should
receive unique attention in efforts to educate the public about the
impending DTV transition.
The title of the hearing is Preparing for the
Digital Television Transition: Will Seniors Be Left in the Dark?
Federal Communications Commissioner Jonathan S.
Adelstein will offer testimony on his own agency’s lack of preparation,
highlighting the minor efforts the FCC has made in working with the
Administration on Aging and its allied aging network to educate seniors
about the DTV transition and its implications.
Adelstein’s testimony will provide a contrast to
the letter FCC Chairman Kevin Martin sent to Chairman Kohl over the
summer with regard to the DTV transition.
Assistant Secretary John M. Kneuer of the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will also be
present to discuss the agency’s progress in implementing its
Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program.
A representative from the Government Accountability
Office (GAO) will detail the inter-agency confusion over jurisdiction
for the overall DTV transition and the challenges that remain as we move
closer to the transition date.
The hearing will cover the roles of stakeholders
who stand to benefit from the transition, such as the broadcasting,
retail and manufacturing industries.
Additionally, it will bring attention to the unique
needs and vulnerabilities of older Americans, their families, caregivers
and aging support networks and the necessary steps to ensure that no
senior is left in the dark. Representatives from the National
Association of Broadcasters (NAB), AARP, the National Association of
Area Agencies on Aging (N4A), and U.S. Public Interest Research Group
(US PIRG) will also be on hand to testify.
It will be held September 19, 10:30 a.m., in room
106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
For more information about the Committee’s work
regarding the DTV transition, please go to:
http://aging.senate.gov/issues/dtv/
Audio of the hearing will be streamed from the
Committee webpage:
www.aging.senate.gov
