New Digital TV Era About to Dawn
Beginning February 17th, 2009, over-the-air -analog
broadcast television will end in the United States
By Mike Reynolds
Beginning February 17th, 2009,
over-the-air broadcast television will end in the United States and be replaced
by digital broadcast services. It will mark the first change in the
transmission of broadcast television since the TV’s invention.
Because of the impending change, many
media outlets have mentioned the need for a digital-to-analog converter box, a
fact that will disproportionately affect people with disabilities, a majority
of whom rely on television for a large part of their daily information and
entertainment. 
To make the switch, a television watcher
will need a digital-to-analog converter box. The government is giving out $40
dollar ATM cards that will serve as coupons to offset the cost of a converter
box. Several national retailers are offering the new converters for less than
$40. A household that already uses cable services will not need a new
converter. Each household is eligible to receive two coupons; there is a
separate program for individuals who reside in nursing facilities.
The boxes will provide a much clearer
picture for most viewers, and many Public Broadcasting Service stations
nationally are planning to offer a second channel of content. The major
television networks are also offering digital broadcast service, often in high
definition, as well as independent local television stations.
In rural areas, however, low-power
television services are not required to switch to a digital signal. Those who
rely on lowpower or repeater stations, the majority of which are small
religious stations or community broadcast stations, may need an antenna that
will also have an analog antenna or one that can work passively with an analog
antenna. Some individuals may need to use an A-B switch to use their existing
antenna and the digital converter box.
Many stations that serve rural areas of
the U.S. may actually experience a decrease in coverage area because a digital
signal does not cover as much area as an analog one. In Maine, for example,
some communities, many of which are economically depressed, fall outside the
coverage areas. Some of these areas, which are close to Canada, would receive
analog signals from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation until 2011, the date
that Canada is scheduled to switch to digital signals.
...there were some major problems that the early
transition brought to light. The San Francisco Chronicle reported more than
1,000 calls to the FCC and local call centers concerning problems associated
with the switch.
According to the National Association of
Broadcasters, those who live in areas that will receive both digital and analog
will need a converter box that receives both signals. That can cost more than
$100, so a $40 coupon would be insufficient to offset that. TV watchers in
those areas could use a “rabbit-ear” antenna or an A-B switch.
“The digital television transition
has suffered from a lack of leadership and forethought,” said Jon
Bartholomew, media and democracy campaign coordinator for Common Cause.
“The process to get a converter box that works in your location can be
difficult in the best of circumstances and almost prohibitively difficult for
people with disabilities. Those who rely on crank TV sets for information in an
emergency will be left out in the cold after the transition.”
Bartholomew also discussed a June article
in the Portland (Maine) Press Herald in which writer Tom Bell needed to go to
the store several times to obtain the correct TV antenna and related how a
person with a disability who relied on public transportation could spend
several days, due to public bus schedules, to exchange unsuitable equipment
because of incompatibility issues.
Bartholomew’s comments mirrored
concerns in Wilmington, N.C., test site of the switch to the digital-only
signal, instituted on September 8th. According to the Leadership Conference on
Civil Rights (LCCR), a coalition of more than 180 national civil rights
organizations, there were some major problems that the early transition brought
to light. The San Francisco Chronicle reported more than 1,000 calls to the FCC
and local call centers concerning problems associated with the switch. Although
the majority of Wilmington residents who called already had converter boxes,
many had not scanned for channels or their antennas were not installed
correctly.
Despite a projected advertising budget of
between $100,000 and $125,000, observers agreed that there were an
extraordinary amount of problems in Wilmington, where only 7.4 percent of the
residents relied solely on over-the-air television signals.
“[T]he financial and human resources
spent in the Wilmington area to best prepare its residents for the pilot
transition will not be replicated in every vulnerable community,” Nancy
Zirkin, executive vice president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
said in a statement. “The government should work closely with Wilmington
to flag particular areas of concern that can be shared with local community
organizations. With this information, community organizers can better mobilize
public education efforts in the most vulnerable markets to make sure as few
Americans as possible are left in the dark come February 17th, 2009.” The
LCCR has advocated various civil rights legislation for the past 50 years
At an event signifying the 100-day mark to
the switch to digital television, the LCCR issued further concerns about the
accessibility to digital television in minority communities, especially among
the elderly and people with disabilities. AARP and other national organizations
made significant contributions at the event, and the American Association of
People with Disabilities is launching an initiative to assist with information
on digital converters for individuals with disabilities.
According to David Rehr, president and CEO
of the National Association of Broadcasters, one of the biggest problems with
the program is that many households will apply very late -- possibly too late
-- for coupons. Because there are only a limited number of coupons available,
many households may find themselves without a coupon. With more than 34 million
coupons requested so far, Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez
said that people need to apply now “in order to make sure to get
one.”
Though the switch to digital will provide
space for extra channels and content from a local perspective, it may not
significantly help with the broadcast of municipal meetings and other local
areas of interest because there is no federal mandate for such broadcasting on
digital television signals. Community-access television is mandated, but it is
contingent on having a subscription to a local cable provider. Although access
will be available to cable subscribers, anyone can produce content for
community programs. One of the benefits of digital broadcasting is that DVDs
will be the primary standard.
Though digital video recorders can be
extremely costly, the increase in new media sites such as YouTube has led to a
proliferation of digital technology, from Apple’s iMovie to $150 digital
cameras that can film at DVD quality. Stand-alone DVD recorders and DVD burners
have become very inexpensive, and many community-access stations have programs
that teach how to use that equipment to cover local events. An event could be
recorded and transferred to a DVD, then added to a video-sharing site such as
YouTube, Google Video or Vimeo much easier than it would have been even three
years ago.
The switch to digital TV could enable far
more participation in communityaccess television and could benefit people with
disabilities and other minority viewpoints on television. More information can
be obtained at the Alliance for Community Media (www.ourchannels. org).
To receive a digital TV coupon, go to www.
dtv2009.gov if you have Internet service or call the toll-free 24-hour
automated system at 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009).
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Mike
Reynolds is a writer, activist, and filmmaker diagnosed with CP at birth. A
graduate of UMaine, he lives in central Maine. |
