APTS Credited for Bringing Together Diverse Coalition
The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) is spearheading a diverse coalition that includes private industry, civil right organizations and other trade associations. On February 28, the DTV Transition Coalition announced that they will work together on a comprehensive consumer education campaign to increase awareness of the nation’s transition from analog to digital television.
“APTS is proud that this coalition has come together. We all share the commitment of ensuring that no viewer is left behind in the digital transition,” said APTS President and CEO John Lawson during a press conference in Washington, D.C.
Lawson said: “Public Television’s goal is the preservation of over-the-air television. Rather than the dinosaur some perceive it to be, we believe broadcast television is poised for a big come back in digital. Consumers will rediscover it as “wireless TV” and make it cool again. With the transition to digital less than two years away, there is a critical need for a comprehensive consumer education campaign. A recent APTS study found that 61 percent of U.S. over-the-air television households are unaware of the transition. We need to target these millions of families to ensure their smooth transition to digital. We need for them to know that DTV should not be feared, but embraced.”
The mission of the DTV Transition Coalition is to ensure no consumer is left without broadcast television due to lack of information about the transition. The privately funded campaign will use grassroots techniques, basic marketing and public education strategies. The goal is to help television viewers better understand the nature of the transition, and become better educated about the changes that will occur on the February 17, 2009 analog broadcasting cut off date.
