Activists Pledge to Educate the Public on Analog-Digital Switch
Feature Story by Melissa Krainson - 10/31/2007
The switch from analog to digital television in 2009 means that millions of households will face a television blackout unless they get a converter box.
Civil rights and activist groups are trying to make sure that minority communities, those who live in rural areas and the elderly know that they can get the boxes before then. Analog television sets, those that receive signals through the air via antennae, can receive digital signals once they have a converter box.
The House of Representatives Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet recently held a hearing "On the Status of the Digital Television Transition" with two panels testifying on the process of educating the public about the boxes.
IBM's Global Business Services has been awarded the contract by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to implement the program that will allow consumers to get the converter box through a government subsidized coupon program.
The Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program's goal is to "successfully communicate the details of the converter box program to targeted consumers, distribute coupons and complete the redemption process with minimal waste, fraud and abuse." Requirements include the consumer knowing the accurate information about the program, requesting the coupon and using it at a store for purchase.
However, activists were unanimous that implementing the coupon program is easier said than done. Already there is more misinformation than information, according to a study conducted at five different retail locations by Amina Fazhullah from the U.S Public Interest Research Group. The information at each was inaccurate and conflicting. This misinformation could harm the groups particularly in need of accurate information: the elderly, minorities, disabled, low-income and rural residents.
"Access to communications in the 21st century is not a luxury but a fundamental right of every American," said Nancy Zirkin, vice president and director of public policy of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.
Claude Stout from the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT) said that "there is a dispute over the extent to which TV networks now covered by the captioning rules are obligated to continue providing captions." COAT wants Congress to take the lead in making for a smoother transition.
The Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Inc. is an organization taking matters into their own hands with their "Keep Your TV On" campaign. It has teamed up with Best Buy, Geek Squad and the NTIA to create an incentive contest. Michael J. Benjamin, executive director of FCCLA said they are "involving youth across the country in community engagement by doing its part to help raise awareness."
