NTIA: "Over-the-Air" Participation in DTV Coupon Program On Track

The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that nearly 6.4 million "over-the-air" TV households, those that rely on an antenna for broadcast TV, have requested about 12 million coupons from the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. The program helps households switch to digital television when full-power TV broadcasters switch from analog to 100 percent digital broadcasts in six months. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, 60 percent of "over-the-air" TV households are potential purchasers of converter boxes. Nielsen estimated that there were 14 million over-the-air TV households, at the beginning of the year. Nearly 75 percent of these potential purchasers of converter boxes have requested coupons. Household participation is 50 percent or higher in 187 of the country's 210 television markets for their participation in the Coupon Program. (See listing of all markets and the participation rates of over-the-air households.) NTIA is sharing this data with its partners and creating special outreach where participation rates are lower than expected.