The Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 mandates the cessation of analog television broadcasts after February 17, 2009. Recognizing that consumers may wish to continue receiving broadcast programming over the air using analog-only televisions not connected to cable or satellite service, the Act authorizes $990 million for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in the Department of Commerce to create a program to subsidize the purchase of inexpensive digital-to-analog converter equipment. The amount can be upgraded to $1.5 billion if NTIA certifies that it needs more money. In addition, the Act authorizes $5 million for NTIA to conduct a consumer education campaign regarding the DTV transition and the availability of converter equipment. On July 25, 2006, NTIA proposed regulations to implement the requirements of the Act and sought comment on a variety of issues related to the converter box subsidy program and to consumer education.
With the nation-wide shut-off of analog broadcast television scheduled for February 18, 2009, there is a great need for a comprehensive consumer education and outreach campaign that directly reaches broadcast-dependent household members where they live and work. This includes Americans living in many rural portions of the country, minorities, older Americans, lower-income families, and persons with disabilities.
In two separate documents filed with the Department of Commerce in September of 2006, APTS emphasized that public television stations possess the means and experience engaging these constituencies with effective, direct person-to-person local educational outreach activities. APTS stressed that public television’s local roots and national scope are ideal tools with which to initiate the kind of comprehensive consumer education campaign that Congress envisioned and that is desperately needed if the DTV switch-over is to succeed. In addition, APTS has spear-headed a coalition of industry and public interest organizations with the goal of paving the way for a consensus among all interested parties so that the DTV transition is a success.
Regarding the converter equipment subsidy, APTS filed documents generally supporting the proposed regulations while noting some additional issues. First, NTIA has proposed limiting eligible households to those without any cable or satellite connections. APTS believes that no restrictions should be imposed, because the goal of the program is to ensure continuity of service for any unconnected television set, including those that may be in cable or satellite households. Second, NTIA has proposed imposing an economic means-test on coupon applicants. APTS believes that a means test has been considered and rejected by Congress and should not be independently imposed by NTIA. Third, APTS supports proposed measures to reduce fraud and to ensure consumer acceptance, such as the issuance of unique serial numbers on electronic cards that can be used online or in a store for the purchase of a converter box. Fourth, APTS urges NTIA to: (a) allow eligible converter boxes to possess software or hardware capability that would allow for upgrades after retail sale; (b) ensure that converter equipment is capable of receiving, decoding and presenting program-related and non-program public safety data; (c) allow eligible converter boxes to contain a built-in and easily workable A/B switch to facilitate reception and display of both full power digital or low power analog translator signals; and (d) work closely with the EPA to ensure that EPA’s Energy Star program, or another national standard, applies to DTV converter equipment and that it has sufficient preclusive effect on state regulation.
