[SBE] Consumer DTV Education

[Larry Bloomfield]

I'm on the board of the West Lane Translators in Florence, OR. The only 
way people in our area can get free over the air TV is via one of our 
translators. I get calls on a regular basis from folks who've gotten 
converter boxes for their legacy TV sets and complain that they can't 
get anything. As a point of information, only 24 percent of all 
television transmitters are required to make the change to digital in 
February. According to the FCC's  As of *December 31, 2007*:

          UHF COMMERCIAL TV           796

          VHF COMMERCIAL TV           583

          UHF EDUCATIONAL TV          252

          VHF EDUCATIONAL TV          128

          ______________________________

          TOTAL   Full Power          1759* *

 

TOTAL CLASS A STATIONS    556

TOTAL TRANSLATORS          4271

TOTAL LOW POWER TV         2295

TOTAL of these three     *7122*

 

None of the 7122 have to make any change at any time as of right now. I 
have no doubt that it will come to pass, but not as of right now!  The 
FCC has really created a mess with this split situation and the spots 
that say you must have a converter box doesn't help. There are many 
communities that have a mix of Class A, Low Power and the Full Powers 
that have to make the switch. If the converter boxes don't have pass 
through, those poor folks are screwed! You think you're getting calls 
now, wait until February. :-)

 
* Larry Bloomfield* - /KA6UTC/
1980 25th St. - Florence, OR 97439
(541) 902-2424 (Everything)
* WWW.Tech-Notes.TV <http://WWW.Tech-Notes.TV>*
See you on _* The Taste of NAB Road Show 
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/2008/2008-Itinerary.htm>*_
& the video @ * www.Tech-Notes.TV/DVD.html 
<http://www.tech-notes.tv/DVD.html>*



A9xw at cs.com wrote:

> In response to Hary Sgrignoli's inquiry, here is an idea for SBE:

>

> Here is a survey I participaed in.   I have seen some stations do a 

> long form DTV info program but mostly as part of a news or public 

> affairs show. WYIN has had TV open houses where we have the public 

> come in or go to civic organizations and give a nuts and bolts chat. 

>   So far a lot of calls, " I bought a box and can't get your station" 

> typically 2-3 a day. Mostly senior citizens. They don't know about 

> turning a roof top antenna or have the means to do so.  One caller 

> loses our signal at exactly 8:20 every Monday night and gets it back 

> around 8:40.  Blames us.  Hey not my transmitter or signal. Sorry.

>

> I would like the SBE to orgnaize a large public talk, if the TV 

> stations would promote it and we could get a big venue or maybe more 

> than one venue with several people doing the chit chat.  Can you get a 

> Circuit City or other chain to sponsor such an event?

>

> Henry Ruhwiedel

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

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