The Business of Television : Digital Transition

3.1 Mil Households Still Unready for DTV

News — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:32:51 GMT

The number of TV households completely unready for the digital transition decreased to 3.1 million, according to Nielsen. The number represents 2.7% of TV households, down from 2.9% at the time of Nielsen’s last report two weeks ago , which stated that...(read more)

DTV Soft Test Results in Record Number of Helpline Calls

News — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:28:13 GMT

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...(read more)

Univision Sets Digital Test for Saturday’s ‘Gigante’

News — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:54:43 GMT

Univision will conduct the first nationwide digital transition test during this Saturday’s edition of “Sabado Gigante.” The test, scheduled during the 9:30-10 p.m. EST half-hour, is part of the network’s 30-day countdown to the government-mandated analog...(read more)

DTV-Unready Households Down to 3.3 Mil, Nielsen Says

News — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:11:55 GMT

Fewer than 3% of U.S. TV households are still completely unready for the digital transition on June 12, Nielsen said today. As of May 10, 3.3 million or 2.9% of households are completely unprepared, down from 3.5 million unready households in Nielsen...(read more)

FCC’s Adelstein to Unveil DTV Web Site at NAB Show

News — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:04:08 GMT

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...(read more)

Digital-Unready Households Down Slightly to 3.6 Mil, Nielsen Says

News — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:04:52 GMT

Some 3.6 million or 3.2% of U.S. television households are still completely unready for the digital transition on June 12, according to data collected by Nielsen. The number represents a slight decrease from the 3.8 million U.S. households that were completely...(read more)

3.8 Million U.S. Homes Still Not Ready for DTV, Nielsen Says

News — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:43:14 GMT

Some 3.8 million or 3.4% of all U.S. TV households are still completely unprepared for the June 12 digital TV switch, according to Nielsen Media Research. The Albuquerque-Santa Fe, N.M., market ranks as the most unprepared market, with 9.4% of households...(read more)

FCC Enlists AmeriCorps for DTV Outreach

News — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:16:55 GMT

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...(read more)

DTV Switch Getting Less Scary, Month by Month

News — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:05:00 GMT

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...(read more)

Homes Unprepared for DTV Down to 3.4% of U.S., Nielsen Says

News — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:11:53 GMT

The number of households unprepared for the digital transition has declined slightly since the beginning of March, Nielsen Media Research reported today. Improving by about 350,000 homes since March 1, the percentage of homes completely unprepared for...(read more)

Almost Half of Stations to Beat DTV Deadline

News — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:01:46 GMT

About 44% of the country’s TV stations aren’t going to wait for the national switch to digital television on June 12, instead dropping their analog broadcasting signals before the deadline. Stations that wanted to switch before June 12 had to notify the...(read more)

FCC Allows Some Stations to Make Digital Switch April 16

News — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:50:19 GMT

The Federal Communications Commission is giving a reluctant go-ahead to a new round of early DTV switchovers, telling stations they can terminate their analog signals starting April 16, but imposing more conditions on network affiliates. The FCC said...(read more)

NAB Protests Nielsen’s Count of ‘DTV-Unready’ Households

News — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:40:36 GMT

The National Association of Broadcasters has made its continuing objection to Nielsen’s analysis of the country’s DTV readiness rate more formal. In a letter today to Nielsen Chairman-CEO David Calhoun, NAB President-CEO David K. Rehr complained that...(read more)

Unprepared DTV Homes Fell 23% Last Month

News — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:42:53 GMT

The number of U.S. households that wouldn’t receive any programming once domestic broadcasts switch to digital from analog fell 24% last month as more people prepared for the original Feb. 17 switchover deadline, Nielsen said today. As of March 1, about...(read more)

Relatively Smooth Digital Transition Creates Optimism for June

News — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:50:00 GMT

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...(read more)