If any American ‘loses the ability’ to view over-the-air TV after...

in joint letters Wed. Broadcasters, CE and cable will use their “collective resources to develop and implement an extensive consumer education campaign in advance of the transition,” the letter said. As expected, it didn’t have many specifics (CD Feb 14 p11), including on financing their program. The letter was signed by CEA’s Gary Shapiro, NAB’s David Rehr and NCTA’s Kyle McSlarrow. Copies of the House letter were sent to Commerce Chmn. Dingell (D-Mich.) and ranking member Barton (R-Tex.) and to Telecom Subcommittee Chmn. Markey (D-Mass.) and ranking member Upton (R-Mich.). The Senate letter went to Commerce Chmn. Inouye (D-Hawaii) and ranking member Stevens (R-Alaska). The “inter-industry DTV campaign” won’t wait until the cutoff date “to educate consumers about the transition and provide information about actions they may need to take to ensure they do not lose television reception,” the letter said. “These efforts will focus on developing simple, powerful messages about the consumer benefits of digital technology and actions that consumers should take to maintain their access to over-the-air television.” The campaign will be waged by “a broad coalition” that will include the entertainment and communications industries and consumer organizations, the letter said. “Educational tools” they said they will develop: (1) A “robust” website giving “simple, useful information about consumer options” during the transition, with links to a “wide variety of industry resources.” (2) Printed materials to be distributed to consumers at points of sale. (3) Public service ads on broadcast, cable and print media. (4) Information about NTIA’s DTV coupon and converter box program. “In short, we will help lead consumers to information about equipment, devices and hardware currently in development to expedite the transition, as well as provide answers to their questions about the television equipment in their homes and its viability in a digital world,” the letter said. Dingell hailed the CEA/NAB/NCTA effort, vowing he'll “closely monitor” public- and private-sector outreach “to ensure that no American household loses its television signal.” The transition “will considerably disrupt nearly 21 million American households dependent on over-the-air television, and millions of other Americans who subscribe to pay services but also use over-the-air sets,” Dingell said in a statement late Wed. Last year’s hard-date legislation from the Republican-controlled Congress “failed to ensure adequate consumer education,” he said.