NAB Says DTV Calls Aren't Flooding Switchboards
Early signs on stations that dropped analog are encouraging
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/18/2009 9:58:27 AM
The National Association of Broadcasters says its early read on stations that pulled the plug on analog earlier in the day Tuesday (Feb. 17) was encouraging.
According to Jonathan Collegio, NAB's VP for the DTV switch and point person for DTV education, there were relatively few viewer calls in markets in Virginia, Illinois and Kansas that had made the switch early enough for the association to get a read on them.
In two Virginia markets, for example, there had only been 150 calls by the time the NAB put out an e-mail at 9:45 Tuesday night. Stations in Rockford, Ill., had received 200 calls, while Topeka stations had received about 300 calls.
NAB said stations were able to resolve most of the problems over the phone. "We are pleased that thus far call volume appears relatively low in markets where stations switched earlier in the day," said Collegio in a statement. "Awareness of the transition is saturated in every market nationwide as a result of the broadcast industry's $1.2 billion consumer education campaign," he said, a campaign for which he was the point person at the NAB.
A quick check Wednesday morning with an aide to a Democratic senator concerned about the transition suggested that early read was still holding. "We haven't gotten any calls" to our office, he said. "Nobody is burning down the switchboard and saying they don't have their television...yet."
The FCC allowed 421 stations to pull the plug on analog Feb. 17, with 220 having already done so and the rest allowed to pull the plug between March 14 and June 12, the current, final hard date for all but so-called "nightlight" analog broadcasts of emergency and DTV transition information.
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Reading the reports so far today, it appears the NAB is implying that all is smooth sailing with the DTV transition. Just for the record, let me share with you my experience:
Let's do the math: Previous on-air channels- I had 7. Pre-digital switch-over DTV channels before the 17th- dropped me down to 3 channels. Post transition last night and throughout today the 18th- I am down to 1 channel. (and I've tried different antennas, non-amplified and amplified VHF/UHF, I've done my research online and at antennaweb.org, I've tried different locations...and rescanned as directed, AND it's not like I live in 'the sticks', I live within San Diego...a major metropolitan area.)
So that math tells me that we have a mass-imposed "solution" that does not have the station antenna deployment good enough or strong enough to even adequately support the communities they serve.
Certainly economics come into the picture for the public too in this difficult time. There are those who can't afford cable, those who don't want to buy into cable's pricing plans, those who live in apartments and can't put up expensive outdoor antennas, and those who, no matter what steps they take, are still unable to pick up a suitable signal for the continuation of what has always been "free TV".
Imagine if 15 to 20 years ago we were all forced to switch to the cell phone networks of the day. Unacceptable...especially when the technology is not proven enough to support a mass, mandated deployment.
I'm curious to know what the individual stations, networks and advertisers will think (and do) when large numbers of viewers are no longer able to 'tune-in' once this conversion takes place. Are there plans to build new towers to support the viewership of their community? Are they willing to say farewell to all those viewers, or resign themselves that if those viewers are not going to get cable or satellite, good riddance?
Mark my words, imposing mass adoption of a technology that, regardless of the 'magic box', leaves vast numbers of people without programming will unleash a firestorm of anger and questions. Did the NAB not see this coming? Did a consortium of tech-geeks sell this lofty idea without having enough data to show how well...or how poorly...it would work?
I know from reading other reports, mine is not an isolated incident. This is happening to untold thousands (perhaps millions) around the country who DID prepare for the transition. But will we ever hear that from NAB or the networks and stations themselves? (or is there too much invested to admit this plan's shortcomings) Again, 7 channels...down to 1.
I hope someone covers this story, the sad news is I likely won't be able to see it on the TV if someone does.
Chris Sutherland - 2/18/2009 6:32:02 PM EST -
So far, it looks as if teh transition is going as originally planned. Almost all American homes have planned and prepared for February 17. The Democrat Senator will surely be disappointed if his office, and the offices of his "the sky is falling" colleagues, is not overwhelmed with calls from disenfranchised viewers.
Ron Harper - 2/18/2009 5:18:36 PM EST
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