Problems getting a converter box hooked up properly and consumers missing out on reception of Wilmington signal accounted for over half of the consumer phone calls the FCC received on the second day of the DTV transition in Wilmington NC. And an even greater number of people caught by surprise turned up – that number increased from 23 on Day one to 35. On the plus side, reception and technical problems dipped from 178 to only 57. The total number of phone calls taken at the FCC dropped from 797 to 424.
RBR/TVBR observation: If the US Census Bureau analyzed this data, its headline may well have been “58 Wilmingtonians Live Under a Rock,” since that is what many officials involved in the DTV test case said you’d have to do to miss the message about the 9/8/08 switchover. Other markets are not going to have the undivided attention of government agencies and national trade associations to help get the word out, and in most cases, even state associations are going to be serving more than one market. So it will be best to keep as much heat on the topic as possible from now until 2/17/09. And any additional cash that Congress can scare up wouldn’t hurt – are you listing John Dingell (D-MI) and Ed Markey (D-MA)?
FCC BREAKDOWN OF CONSUMER CALLS, DAY 2
NOT AWARE OF THE TRANSITION
They were not aware of the switch to DTV: 10
They were unaware of the correct transition date: 10
They did not think the stations they watch would switch to digital: 15
Subtotal: 35
AWARE BUT DID NOT ACT
They forgot to upgrade: 19
They were unable to attain assistance to upgrade: 4
They relied on another member of their household to upgrade: 4
They waited too long to buy or set up a digital set or a converter box: 19
They were out of town or too busy or knew they could do it later: 11
Subtotal: 57
PROBLEMS WITH THE CONVERTER BOX COUPON PROGRAM
A coupon did not arrive in time: 17
Wanted coupon or had not received coupon from NTIA: 8
The retail store was out of boxes: 0
Subtotal: 25
INITIAL DIFFICULTY WITH THEIR CONVERTER BOXES
Setting up converter boxes was too hard: 12
They didn’t understand the instructions for the digital set or the converter box: 17
Their converter box "didn’t work": 78
Subtotal: 107
RECEPTION AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
Their antenna didn’t work/no antenna/antenna wasn’t connected: 42
Problem with channel or call sign: 13
Weak or spotty signal: 2
Subtotal: 57
NOT RECEIVING WILMINGTON SIGNALS
Problem with channel or call sign: 124
Subtotal: 124
OTHER PROBLEMS
Satellite subscribers to Dish/Direct TV – did not subscribe to local package: 3
They thought all their sets were hooked up to cable or satellite: 7
They were waiting for cable or satellite installation: 6
Wanted DTV consumer information sent to them: 3
Subtotal: 19
Total: 424
Source: FCC
