Kyle McSlarrow

Avoiding March Madness in '09
March 26, 2007

While March Madness typically refers to the sports-crazed calendar of activities that occurs this time of year, the slogan could have a different meaning in 2009 if millions of Americans suddenly realize their TVs are no longer able to receive broadcast television.

Just two weeks before March Madness begins in 2009 -- Feb. 17, to be exact -- the nation will complete its transition to digital TV and broadcasters will no longer use the analog TV spectrum. So while 2009 seems like a distant thought, all industries involved in providing Americans with TV service -- including cable -- have been preparing for years for the new era of broadcast digital TV to begin.

The good news for cable is that we embraced the digital world several years ago and have been making our own transition since the late 1990s. Cable operators alone have spent more than $100 billion to build a state-of-the-art, fiber-optic infrastructure that offers the latest in digital technology.

This massive investment allowed for the launch of HDTV programming on channel lineups, where 28 cable HD channels are currently delivered to millions of consumers. And, of course, cable’s broadband pipe is the platform for our lightning-fast high-speed Internet service and rapidly growing digital-phone service.

The biggest challenge with the nation’s broadcast digital transition will be to alert consumers that the transition is coming and that they need to take action if they want their analog TVs to continue receiving broadcast channels after Feb. 17, 2009.

The NCTA has made a strong commitment to educating our customers about the transition.We have teamed up with the National Association of Broadcasters, the Consumer Electronics Association, government agencies and community groups in a coalition called the DTV Transition Coalition. The coalition’s goal is simple but substantial -- to inform American consumers about the transition so that not one viewer loses his or her signal due to a lack of information.

While subscribers with televisions hooked up to cable via a set-top box or a coaxial-cable input won’t lose any of their favorite programming, we must reach out to our customers who might have an additional television set that isn’t attached to cable, in the bedroom, kitchen, or den. Through our combined resources, this coalition will create simple messages to alert American consumers and provide specific directions to ensure that their TV sets continue to receive over-the-air signals.

One of the first components of the DTV Transition campaign was the launch of a Web site -- http://www.DTVtransition.org -- in late February to help consumers learn about options they have to navigate the transition. The site provides basic information about the transition and offers links to additional industry resources to answer basic questions. In addition to the Web site, the coalition plans other tactics that will directly reach out to consumers, including how consumers can utilize the government’s converter-box coupon program that will be rolled out in 2008. Look also for additional messaging and support from the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing as the 2009 deadline approaches.

The DTV transition is an important evolution in our nation’s telecommunications landscape. The returned analog-TV spectrum will be used in critical public-safety communication networks and the development of new services. However, for this transition to truly be beneficial, we must make sure Americans everywhere know that the transition is coming and what actions they need to take.

Or March Madness may have a new meaning in two short years.

Posted by Kyle McSlarrow on March 26, 2007 | Comments (1)