|
The News & Observer:
Point of View:
Published: May 14, 2008 12:30 AM
Modified: May 14, 2008 02:43 AM
Tom Howe
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK - The way television is broadcast and received is about to change profoundly. Too many people in North Carolina and the Triangle are unprepared for what lies ahead.
Federal law requires that on Feb. 17, 2009, full-power television stations stop broadcasting in analog format and begin broadcasting only in digital. This means that all TV sets not equipped with digital tuners will no longer receive over-the-air programming through rabbit ears or antennas.
Viewers who receive television via cable or satellite will not be affected, but an estimated 21 million American households that rely on free over-the-air service as their sole source of television will have to act or they will lose access to all television service entirely. Even in many homes with cable or satellite service, there are secondary television sets -- in a kitchen, spare bedroom or garage -- that still rely on an antenna or rabbit ears, and these sets will also be affected by the analog signal shutoff.
Surveys by the National Association of Broadcasters and the nonprofit Consumers Union indicate that a majority of Americans need more information and guidance to know what they need to do to be ready for the change. Viewers need to understand their individual situations and know what steps to take if they want to be able to watch their televisions after February. Doing nothing will have consequences, whether intended or unintended.
Research conducted by PBS revealed that many over-the-air viewers are not interested in acquiring cable or satellite service as a means of coping with the transition. People said they want straightforward information and guidance about the transition without being pressured to buy a new product or a new service.
Purchasing a new digital television will, of course, assure future access to service. But there are alternatives. For example, the addition of a simple converter box will make it possible to continue using your analog television set even after the analog broadcast signal is shut off.
A number of organizations are working toward a successful transition, including the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, an arm of the Commerce Department that is offering up to two $40 coupons per household toward the purchase of converter boxes that cost $40 to $70 each. Information about how to apply for coupons is available at www.dtv2009.gov, by calling (888) 388-2009 or by mailing a coupon application to P.O. Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208-2000.
Television unifies and connects our society. Not every home has a computer, but almost every American home has a television, and despite the proliferation of new media, viewership continues to increase. Unless we make sure that everyone knows how to manage this change, millions of Americans could lose access to this vital link to the world.
The goal should be to make certain that over-the-air television service is still easily accessible a year from now, when the transition is complete (commercial TV stations in Wilmington will begin a test of the new system Sept. 8). This is especially important for the many households that depend on over-the-air broadcast television as their sole source of television, and for the other populations -- minority, older and rural -- that will be disproportionately affected, according to NTIA research.
It will take a major effort by both public and commercial television broadcasters, along with support from other communications media, the electronics industry and government at both the national and local levels, to assure that no one in North Carolina loses access to television service because he or she was unprepared for the historic change coming in February.
(Tom Howe is director and general manager of UNC-TV, the statewide public television network.)
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner.
|
