NAB refocuses consumer education efforts

The National Association of Broadcasters believes that most Americans are now aware that the DTV transition is coming. It is also aware that one of the conspicuous revelations of the Wilmington DTV test was the prevalence of antenna problems. With that in mind, it is sending out a pair of new 30-second spots to television stations everywhere, in English and Spanish, focusing attention on just that issue. “Most consumers are now aware of the transition, and many are trying out their converter boxes for the first time,” said NAB’s Jonathan Collegio. “To obtain the best possible digital pictures, some viewers may need to reexamine and upgrade their antennas. In some cases, new antennas can nearly quadruple the number of channels available to viewers in a market.” The spots can be viewed at www.dtvanswers.com/dtv_30spots.html.

RBR/TVBR observation: Politicians are mostly making noise—they’re willing to give the FCC advice, but not cash. It’s good to see that broadcasters are actually doing something.