FCC Chairman to speak about DTV transition Oct 4th

[Skaggs]

CHAIRMAN POWELL TO KICKOFF CONSUMER EDUCATION
INITIATIVE ON TRANSITION TO DIGITAL TELEVISION

Washington, DC – Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell will hold a press conference on Monday, October 4, 2004, to kick off an education campaign to highlight the importance of the transition to digital television (DTV).

The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. in the Commission Meeting Room at the FCC headquarters at 445 12th Street, SW in Washington, D.C.

At the event, Powell will announce a major initiative headed by the FCC that will bring all corners of the television industry together to educate the public on the importance of the digital television (DTV) transition and how it will affect them in the coming years.

The Chairman’s press conference will be immediately followed by two panels with senior executives of the television industry discussing the present and future of digital and highdefinition television. Participants will include representatives from ESPN, FOX, CBS, HBO,
Discovery, NCTA, CEA, DirecTV, Emmis Communications and public and commercial broadcasters.

The first panel will focus on what high-definition content is available to Americans now, and will be available in the future. The second panel will focus on how Americans are able to take advantage of this content—whether through broadcast television, cable, satellite, and other services.

Over the last several years, the FCC has worked in a partnership with every sector of the television industry to bring the benefits of high-definition and digital television to millions of Americans. As the DTV transition begins to hit its stride many Americans remain confused about the DTV transition and the capabilities of new digital television sets. The Chairman will outline some of the key components of this multi-year effort to educate the public about the DTV transition.

The official press release can be found here.

[Skaggs]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 4, 2004

NEWS MEDIA CONTACT
Rebecca Fisher [phone]
David Fiske [phone]

CHAIRMAN POWELL ANNOUNCES MAJOR DTV CONSUMER EDUCATION INITATIVE
“DTV – Get It!”

Washington, DC – Today, FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell launched a multi-year, multi-phased consumer education and outreach campaign – “DTV – Get it!” - designed to inform the public about the digital television (DTV) transition and the availability of high-definition and other digital content and to provide resources for Americans interested in joining the DTV ranks.

Powell recognized the significant advances made by the government and the industry over the last several years in increasing the availability of digital and high-definition programming available to the American public. He also cited the growing popularity of DTV, and acknowledged consumer confusion about the changing digital television landscape.

“Although for the vast majority of American households, digital television may be uncharted territory, we will not let them go it alone,” Powell said. “If you have questions about digital television, the FCC is ready to serve as a primary resource for quick answers. Then we
hope they will get DTV – get the set, get the connection, get the content,” he said.

Powell unveiled a new web portal www.dtv.gov to serve as a one-stop source of information on the DTV transition and available high-definition programming. The site allows consumers to find a list of high-definition programming options available in their home, answers
to frequently asked questions about the DTV transition and a guide for DTV shoppers.

The FCC also announced a joint effort with the commitment from the Consumer Electronic Association (CEA) and the Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition (CERC) on the creation and distribution of a DTV Tip Sheet. The new consumer tip sheet describes digital
television features and equipment and provides a glossary of common terms. The tip sheet also explains that TV sets with only analog tuners will need a separate converter box in the future to receive over-the-air signals after TV stations turn off their analog signals. CERC’s Board Member companies—Best Buy, Circuit City, RadioShack and Tweeter—agreed to distribute the DTV Tip Sheet to the public at their retail outlets.

“I commend these retailers for helping eliminate consumer confusion where it is needed most—at the point of sale,” Powell said. “We look forward to working with more retailers to make this DTV Tip Sheet available for distribution in their stores.”