FCC, NAB Planning DTV Transition Webinar

Will walk broadcasters through revised DTV transition Web site and coordinate call center activity

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/6/2009 1:31:21 PM

The FCC will walk broadcasters through its revised DTV transition Web site and coordinate FCC-industry DTV call center activity in a planned Webinar with TV stations, most likely next week.
 
The National Association of Broadcasters, which is working with the FCC on the online seminar, was still finalizing a date and time at press time.
 
FCC spokesman Mark Wigfield provided some more details on the Webinar, which B&C first reported on Tuesday.  
 
"Basically it is to coordinate call-center operations. When we tell consumers to call, we will often post both our 888 number and the local broadcaster number. That is because we can answer a lot of the questions about basic set-up and general DTV questions. Specific reception issues may be referred to them."
 
Wigfield says the Webinar will try to insure that the local station call centers know what kind of questions they will be getting from the FCC and what kind of calls they can send to the commission.
 
The FCC also wants to walk broadcasters through the changes it has made to its DTV site, including the addition of reception maps and a searchable reception database. "We just wanted to make sure it is a tool they are familiar with," says Wigfield, "so part of the reason for the Webinar is to just walk them through the Web site (http://www.dtv.gov/)."
 
It will already be familiar to some NAB members, since the FCC promoted the revamped site at the association's convention in Las Vegas last month.