[RP TownTalk] Question on digital TV conversion
Yorkedial at aol.com
Yorkedial at aol.com
Thu Jan 22 17:17:22 UTC 2009
The Feb. 17 DTV transition will likely be scrubbed, replaced by a later date
to be announced. See _www.RadioandRecords.com_
(http://www.RadioandRecords.com) below:
Originally Posted On Jan 16, 2009 FCC's Copps, Adelstein: FCC
'Nowhere Near' Ready For DTV Switch
By Jeffrey Yorke
The U.S. is not ready to pull the plug on analog television broadcasts and
to handle the "the expected avalanche of calls" that would follow the
transition to all digital signals on Feb. 17, say the Commission's two Democrats in a
Friday (Jan. 16) warning letter to legislators on Capitol Hill.
In a letter from commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein to
Senators John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and Reps.
Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas), they said there were "writing
to express our deep concern about the state of the nation's readiness for the
digital television transition." They added, "We are nowhere near where we
should be only 32 days from a deadline that threatens to pull the plug on
television service in millions of American homes."
"Unlike Y2K, the DTV transition has not been the focus of a sustained and
coordinated public-private partnership," they wrote. "While the FCC and others
have been scrambling recently to ramp-up their DTV efforts (often in response
to Congressional oversight), the late start has led to a rushed effort with
little room for strategic thinking or for anticipating and fixing problems
that have arisen."
Copps and Adelstein said that a delay could give the various parties
responsible for the change time to fix inadequate coordination between the FCC and
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and other
potential government stakeholders. They delay would also give the agencies
involved time to better educate the public, which has been struggling with the
transition at large, and to bolster the government-backed converter box coupon
program, in particular.
The commissioners also believe that a delay would help the Feds fix the
significant reception antenna problems that loom. They say that when they began
to travel the country as part of the public information tour about the
transition it became apparent that "reception/antenna problems are one of the most
common complaints we hear" from consumers and that "we only recently
identified the scope of the potential service losses that some stations will
experience and there is no plan for notifying affected consumers that they may lose
service." They listed additional issues involving closed captioning and
"inadequate consumer support."
The state of DTV transition has been a huge concern for government officials
and broadcasters alike; all are concerned that too many Americans will lose
their signals when the shift takes place. On Jan. 8, President-elect Barack
Obama asked Congress to delay the transition because of the lack of
preparedness. NAB president/CEO David Rehr said the request from Obama's transition
team "reaffirms the importance of free and local broadcasting in the fabric of
American life." He added, "NAB looks forward to a continuing dialogue with
the new White House and new Congress to ensure a successful DTV transition."
Obama is expected to nominate Julius Genachowski to replace FCC chairman
Kevin Martin who this week turned in his resignation effective Jan. 20. Martin
will join the D.C.-based, non-partisan Aspen Institute as a senior fellow.
Copyright © 2008 The Nielsen Company. All rights reserved.
Originally Posted On Jan 14, 2009 McDowell Says FCC Isn't
Ready For DTV Transition
By Jeffrey Yorke
The FCC must be "better organized, more energetic and must coordinate its
efforts in a more open and collaborative manner" if it's going to pull off the
national transition to all-digital television signals, said commissioner
Robert McDowell on Wednesday (Jan. 14) in a letter sent to fellow Republican and
FCC chairman Kevin Martin.
In a letter meant to put his position in writing and on the record, McDowell
said he still believes that the commission could remedy the problems in time
to meet the Feb. 17 cutoff date, but he said he has "increasing concern
about the Commission's ability to handle what will be a crush of inquiries in the
coming days and weeks regarding the transition" to DTV. He called the FCC's
efforts to date "inadequate" and complained to Martin that his "fellow
commissioners have not been brought into planning discussions" concerning national
call centers where consumers' questions about converter boxes are handled at
the FCC Consumer Center. McDowell was critical of the way calls have been
handled, pointing to the sloppy technology involved.
"Callers who opt for a live operator are sometimes spontaneously
disconnected rather than re-routed," he said. "I also am concerned that our call center
has not been staffed on recent weekends, when consumers having difficulties
with newly purchased converter boxes are likely to reach out for help. Given
that we have not yet reached the transition date, I am especially concerned by
this apparent lack of readiness."
Despite the Obama transition team's message to Martin sent last week through
Sen. Jay Rockefeller's Senate Commerce Committee asking for the Commission
to delay the transition, Martin has refused to put off the date. He has said
it will confuse consumers. The DTV transition is expected to be not only the
hottest FCC topic in the coming weeks but also the only topic the FCC handles
during the first month of the new Obama Administration, leaving station
ownership, the Fairness Doctrine and localism rules on the sidelines.
Copyright © 2008 The Nielsen Company. All rights reserved.
Originally Posted On Jan 08, 2009 Obama Wants Delay In DTV
Transition
By Jeffrey Yorke
A dozen days away from taking office as the 44th president of the United
States, Barak Obama is wrestling with a mind-boggling $1.2 trillion deficit,
fast-mounting unemployment, a horrifying war in the middle east bubbling up --
not to mention two wars that the U.S. is fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan --
and he still has time to worry that America's televisions won't work after
Feb. 17 when the FCC-ordered all-digital signal goes into effect.
On Thursday (Jan. 8), the Obama Transition Team reached out to newly seated
Senate Commerce Committee chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and asked him to
lean on the FCC to get it to delay the long-awaited switch from analog
signals to digital only.
"I've long believed that there is too much at stake for consumers and for
public safety to simply cross our fingers and hope for the best when it comes
to the digital-television transition," said Rockefeller in a prepared
statement. "Millions of Americans could be left in the dark if this doesn't go
smoothly."
Rockefeller, who has long been on the edge of his chair watching the Kevin
Martin-led FCC, added, "The Obama Administration deserves time to bring order
to what has been an appallingly mismanaged process by the Bush
Administration. I look forward to reviewing the details of the Obama Administration
proposal with my colleagues and will support delaying the current date of the DTV
transition until we can do it right."
FCC commissioner Michael Copps, a Democrat, has for the past 18 months been
publicly critical of the way the FCC has prepared the public for the
monumental transaction. "More time can only help put in place the kind of
consumer-focused outreach and assistance that should have been up-and-running months
ago," he said.
The FCC could take up the request during its Jan. 15 public meeting. It
released the meeting's agenda Thursday evening, and it includes a discussion on
the "Implementation of Short-Term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act,"
"Establishment of DTV Transition 'Analog Nightline' Program," and a
presentation on the "FY 2008 Senior Executive Service Performance Ratings, Bonus, and
Pay Increase Recommendations." The SES, as it is known in federal government
service, is an elite corps of bureaucrats, the top of the pile, who earn
between $117,787 and $177,700 annually.
Copyright © 2008 The Nielsen Company. All rights reserved.
In a message dated 1/22/2009 11:38:06 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
alice at ewenwalker.com writes:
If you have cable service, you should not need a converter box. The box is
for people who don't have cable and who are using older TV's that are not
digital-ready.
If you want to get a converter box, you can get a $40 off coupon usable at
any retailer by going to this website:
_https://www.dtv2009.gov/_ (https://www.dtv2009.gov/)
Alice Ewen Walker
On Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 10:39 AM, Sue Collins <_wheadle at yahoo.com_
(mailto:wheadle at yahoo.com) > wrote:
Has anyone else received a lot of different information as to whether or not
they'll need a digital converter in February? Each time I contact
Comcast, I get different answers. I have an older analog TV. I have basic cable
service, no movies, etc. The cable box on my TV is the older style box, not
the newer digital box. I've been told on various calls/computer chats with
Comcast that; on call #1 I was told no problem, I'm good to go; on call #2; if I
have the older cable box, I'll need a digital cable box or converter; and
#3; even if I have the older cable box, as the signals will be sent digitally
to all Comcast customers, I SHOULD BE ok. (operative phrase, "should be.") I
admit to being technologically challenged, hopefully someone out there is
more in-the-know on these things? Thanks for any help you can give me.
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--
Alice Ewen Walker
Councilwoman, Ward 1
Town of Riverdale Park
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