DTV Transition: One Year Out
Feature Story by Ryan Post - 2/21/2008
On February 17, 2009, by Congressional mandate, all full power American television broadcasters will begin transmitting their signals solely in digital format, effectively ending over-the-air, analog transmission.
While acknowledging the benefits of digital TV, civil rights and consumer groups are concerned about how smoothly the transition will go, especially for the lower-income households, seniors, minorities, and persons with disabilities who are most dependent on television, if they don't know about the switch or the government-sponsored coupon program to offset the cost of digital converter boxes.
"The switch from analog to digital television in 2009 means that some 70 million sets will go dark – and the viewers of those sets, many disproportionately the elderly, the poor and the disadvantaged – may find themselves in the dark as well," said Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR).
Congress mandated the conversion to all-digital television broadcasting, also known as the digital television (DTV) transition, because digital is a more efficient way to broadcast, and it will free up the airwaves for other services, including public safety, such as police, fire, and emergency rescue. DTV also provides clearer pictures, better sound quality, and more channels and programming options.
"The DTV transition will be a historic moment in the evolution of TV. Television viewers will be able to enjoy movie quality picture and sound and potentially a wealth of new programming choices," said Kevin Martin, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, during a February 13 congressional hearing on the transition.
The transition could affect millions of Americans, with non-English speakers, older Americans, people with disabilities, and low income households disproportionately affected by the switch.
Of the 21 million households that rely on over-the-air television who will be directly affected by the transition, one-third are Spanish-language speakers, nearly one-quarter are Black, and nearly 12 percent are Asian.. Forty-eight percent have incomes under $30,000. Eight million households include at least one person over 50 years of age and an estimated one-third or more households include people with disabilities.
Representatives from the broadcast, cable, consumer electronics industries and civil rights organizations have come together to form the DTV Transition Coalition to educate and prepare viewers for the analog-to-digital shift.
According to data collected by the Consumer Electronics Association and the National Association of Broadcasters, consumer awareness of the transition has grown 80 percent since 2006 and has more than doubled since 2007.
However, civil rights groups, including LCCR, point out that the most affected and most vulnerable communities still remain largely uniformed about the transition and what to do about it.
To offset the cost of the transition for consumers, National Telecommunications and Information Administration created the Television Converter Box Coupon Program. Under this program, applicants receive a $40 voucher to purchase a converter box, a device that allows analog televisions to transmit digital signals.
As of February 13, approximately six weeks into the program's implementation, over 4.7 million coupons have been requested.
Although steps are being taken to ensure a streamlined transition, many feel there is more work to be done. Civil rights groups like LCCR say that more is at stake than one's ability to enjoy television programming; it's the ability of the general public to obtain information and participate in the American political system.
"The civil rights community cares about communications policy because we recognize that what we are really talking about is equal opportunity and equal access to important local and national resources," says Wade Henderson, president and CEO of LCCR.
