NAB promises FCC "massive campaign" to push DTV transition

NAB PROMISES FCC "MASSIVE CAMPAIGN" TO PUSH DTV TRANSITION
[SOURCE: Lasar's Letter on the FCC, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
National Association Broadcasters (NAB) Joint Board Chair Jack Sander has promised the Federal Communications Commission a "political campaign" to educate consumers about the DTV transition—the impending move from analog to digital broadcasting. "DTV is the candidate, the transition date of February 17, 2009 is Election Day, and over-the-air television viewers are our target voters," Sander wrote to the FCC on August 21st. February 17th is the last day that television stations can broadcast using analog signals. The problem is that millions of Americans don't know this, or that their analog TVs won't work after that day. In fact, according to Sander's letter, over 60 percent of polled consumers have no idea that the transition is taking place. But the NAB letter does not deal with a sticky impending issue: whether the FCC should require TV stations to broadcast PSAs on the digital transition. The FCC will soon release a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing such a requirement, and asking for public comment on what these announcements should include and how often they should run. The Notice will also propose compliance measures that broadcasting trade groups usually oppose.
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