FCC: Digital Television Consumer Education Workshop

FCC ANNOUNCES PRELIMINARY AGENDA FOR DIGITAL TELEVISION CONSUMER EDUCATION WORKSHOP ON SEPTEMBER 26

Washington, DC – The Federal Communications Commission today announced the agenda topics and tentative speakers for the Digital Television Consumer Education Workshop to be held Wednesday, September 26, 2007, at FCC Headquarters, 445 12th St., SW, Washington, DC, in the Commission Meeting Room. It will begin at 8:00 AM and end at 3:45 PM.

The purpose of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for all interested parties to
jointly discuss the challenges associated with the upcoming transition and explore ways to
develop coordinated consumer education activities. Organizations representing a broad range of
consumers and other stakeholders will be represented, including those who represent senior
citizens, low-income consumers, non-English speakers, people with disabilities, tribes, and
public interest organizations working on behalf of underserved customers or those living in rural
areas.

During the workshop, the public can e-mail questions for the panelists at dtvworkshop@fcc.gov

Open captioning and sign language interpreters will be provided for this event. Other
reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Please
include a description of the accommodation you will need and as much detail as possible. Also,
please include your contact information. Make your request as early as possible. Last minute
requests will be accepted, but may not be possible to fill. Send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or
call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432
(TTY).

A live audiocast of the hearing will be available at the FCC’s website at http://www.fcc.gov/realaudio/#sep26 on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition, the hearing will be recorded, and the recording will be made available to the public.

For more information, please contact Pam Slipakoff at (202) 418-
7705, pam.slipakoff@fcc.gov, or Lauren Patrich at (202) 418-7944, lauren.patrich@fcc.gov.

UPDATED AGENDA FOR
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
DIGITAL TELEVISION CONSUMER EDUCATION WORKSHOP

FCC Headquarters
445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554
Commission Meeting Room

September 26, 2007

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Pre-Program Demonstrations
(Demonstrations will include converter box use, digital televisions and comparisons to analog use)

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Welcome
FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin
FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps
FCC Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein
FCC Commissioner Robert M. McDowell (via pre-recorded message)

9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Government Update on DTV Transition

Federal Communications Commission – Cathy Seidel, Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau

National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce – Tony Wilhelm, Director of Consumer Education

U.S. Administration on Aging/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Edwin L. Walker, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Programs

10:00a.m. – 11:00a.m. What is the Industry’s Role in Facilitating the DTV Transition?

Moderator: Cathy Seidel, Chief, FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau

Panelists:

Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition – Marc Pearl, Executive Director

Consumer Electronics Association – Julie Kearney, Senior Director and Regulatory Counsel

National Cable Television Association – Rob Stoddard, Sr. VP, Communications and Public Affairs

National Association of Broadcasters – Jonathan Collegio, VP, Digital Television Transition

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Consumer Interest and Advocacy Group Roundtable – Part I (General Consumer Groups)

Moderator: Thomas Wyatt, Deputy Bureau Chief, FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau

Panelists:

Alliance for Public Technology – Sylvia Rosenthal, Executive Director

American Library Association -- Carrie Lowe, Internet Policy Specialist

Association of Public Television Stations – John Lawson, President and CEO

Consumer Action – Linda Sherry, Director of National Priorities

Consumer Federation of America – Dr. Mark Cooper, Director of Research

National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators – Elizabeth Owen, Executive Director

National Consumers League – Susan Grant, VP Public Policy

Consumer’s Union, Gene Kimmelman – Vice President Federal and International Affairs

12:30 p.m. – 12:40 p.m. Greetings

FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate

Meredith Attwell Baker, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, and Deputy National Telecommunications and Information Administration Administrator

12:40 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch Break

Attendees are encouraged to visit the technical demonstrations and have informal discussions with other participants.

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Consumer Interest and Advocacy Group Roundtable – Part II (Specific Populations)

Moderator: Nicole McGinnis, Deputy Bureau Chief, FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau

Panelists:

American Association of People with Disabilities – Jenifer Simpson, Senior Director, Telecommunications and Technology Policy

AARP – Jo Reed, Coordinator for Livable Communities and Consumer Issues

La Raza – Lisa Navarrete, Vice President, Public Information

NAACP – Hilary Shelton, Director NAACP Washington Bureau

National Puerto Rican Coalition – Manual Mirabal, President and CEO

Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association – Noah Cuttler, Director of Regulatory Affairs

U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation – Frank Lopez, President & CEO

Native Public Media – Peggy Berryhill, Director of Services and Planning

Southeast Asia Resource Action Center – Doua Thor, Executive Director

3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Wrap Up

3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Technical Demonstrations Remain Open

*There will be time for question and answer following each panel discussion.

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-276698A1.doc