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A record number of consumers called the Federal Communications Commission’s national helpline Thursday in response to a nationwide DTV soft test. The FCC helpline received more than 55,000 calls from consumers, a single-day record. The helpline has averaged 15,000 calls per day since May 1 and prior...
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FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein will unveil the FCC’s new, enhanced digital transition Web site at the NAB Show on Tuesday. The new site, www.dtv.gov, will help guide consumers, providing them with local TV support and answers to questions about DTV equipment and installation. The site will also...
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The Federal Communications Commission has partnered with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps to for a digital transition outreach effort. Forty-nine at-risk cities believe to be less prepared for the DTV switch have been targeted for the outreach effort. AmeriCorps NCAA members will help individuals...
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If Americans continue to prepare themselves at the current rate for the June 12 switch to all-digital television signals, the number of homes that aren’t ready by the deadline could be quite small, vindicating the Obama administration’s decision to push back the transition. Last week, the Nielsen Co...
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Despite the recent delay of the U.S. digital television transition from Feb. 17 until June 12, television stations across the country are still trying to answer consumers’ many questions, using their own airwaves and just about any other means available to them. Questions persist about old TV sets, new...
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Sun, Mar 8 2009
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Filed under: Digital, DTV, Print Edition, FCC, Nielsen Co., KNBC-TV, Newspro, Keith Esparros, Mark Ginther, KING-TV
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President Barack Obama made it official today, nominating Julius Genachowski to be chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. “I can think of no one better than Julius Genachowski to serve as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission,” the president said in a statement. “He will bring...
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For television executives, the early rush by 421 stations to switch to digital-only signals last week was an I-told-you-so moment, even if their public statements were more gracious. Despite a push for postponement, a majority of stations that made the transition to digital-only signals on Tuesday had...
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Sun, Feb 22 2009
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Filed under: Broadcast, Digital, DTV, Print Edition, FCC, Digital Transition, NAB, San Diego, WRSP, KGTV, KOCB, KOKH, Oklahoma City
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The Federal Communications Commission said calls to its digital-TV transition help lines decreased Wednesday, the day after 417 stations switched away from analog signals. The decline may suggest that more viewers were concerned about the prospect of the DTV transition than actually had problems with...
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Initial reports from some of the 421 stations that yesterday switched to digital TV signals suggest that the most dire predictions about the transition may have been overblown. Some DTV issues are surfacing, however, with antenna and other problems arising. Broadcasters, the Federal Communications Commission...
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General managers are tightening the bolts and preparing for the reaction to their digital transitions as a midnight DTV deadline looms for 421 stations. The Federal Communications Commission announced over the weekend that the original list of 368 stations approved to transition before June 12 had grown...
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In the end, a bad brew of poor planning and politics led Congress to delay the nation’s transition to all-digital television signals by three months to June 12. In the poor planning column: An underfunded coupon program to help pay for analog converter boxes; public outreach in some markets that raised...
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The congressional decision to postpone to June the switch to digital television has placed a crucial decision in the hands of stations: Delay or proceed? If stations go forward and switch to digital broadcast signals on the original Feb. 17 date, they may leave unprepared viewers in the dark. For TVWeek's...
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CBS, Fox, NBC, Telemundo and ABC have all agreed to keep both analog and digital signals airing for their owned and operated stations through the new June 12 date set for the DTV transition. Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Copps made the announcement at his first FCC meeting...
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Thu, Feb 5 2009
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Filed under: Broadcast, Digital, Fox, ABC, DTV, CBS, NBC, FCC, Hearst-Argyle, Telemundo, Gannett, Michael Copps
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Hours after the House failure to delay the digital TV transition, the outlines of a plan for a new House vote next week started emerging. The first step: A new vote in the U.S. Senate on a slightly revised DTV bill. Where do you stand on delaying the DTV switch? Make your voice heard in TVWeek's...
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The Minority Media and Telecommunications Council is unveiling its wish list for 2009, calling for a stimulus package to make broadband Web access more available and tax credits that could make it easier for minority-owned firms to buy stations. The group also is seeking law changes to allow foreign...