APTS Study: Viewers Not Ready For DTV Switch

APTS STUDY: VIEWERS NOT READY FOR DTV SWITCH
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
According to a study commissioned by the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS), the government has grossly underfunded a consumer DTV education campaign, particularly considering that the number of analog-only households does not appear to have significantly decreased over the past three years. The study found, according to APTS, that "left to their own devices, the 22 million American households that rely on free, over-the-air television will move slowly to adopt digital TV sets or subscribe to cable or satellite services." "We need a Y2K-level effort," says John Lawson, president of APTS. APTS says the research shows that the over-the-air household population has remained virtually unchanged between 2004 (22.6 million) and 2007 (22.5 million). Of that 22 million-plus over-the-air households, only 7% own a digital TV, compared to 23% of cable and/or satellite subs. "Consumers are generally unaware of the nature of the transition and do not fully know what the direct impact on their ability to watch TV will be," APTS concluded.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6448809.html?rssid=193

* APTS press release:
http://www.apts.org/news/ota_trends.cfm