Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009
Digital delay
Are you ready for the DTV transition?
WMBF's Ted Fortenberry
We have seen the public service announcements, heard the radio spots, read the notices in print media – and have been pitched by cable companies and satellite providers ad nauseam – warning everyone with traditional television reception to be prepared for the advent of digital television, or DTV, by February 17, 2009 or risk seeing nothing but static.
Well, that monumental day is quickly upon us, coming up Tuesday, the date when all analog, over-the-air television signals would stop forever.
Or maybe not…
On February 4, the U.S. House of Representatives bowed to the concerns of President Obama as well as lawmakers and advocacy groups nationwide that a significant number of households are not ready for the switchover and voted to push back the date of what is known as the DTV transition to make sure that nobody is left in the dark, per se. That is, households relying solely on so-called “rabbit ears” or rooftop aerial antennas for their television reception now have an additional window to make the change to digital by switching to satellite or cable providers or by using set top converter boxes available at most electronics retailers or online.
The new official date for the change is June 12. A $1.5 billion government coupon program to reimburse consumers for converter boxes ran out of money, leaving people on a growing waiting list, and this was most likely the deciding factor for the delay. The program allows for two $40 coupons per recipient, which would provide for two base model converter units – but the program is in serious need of additional funding. The Nielsen Company, the nation’s leading media tracking outfit, estimated recently that 6.5 million households would have lost all reception if the delay had not been put in place – and that would have included access to emergency broadcasts and other pertinent, breaking news.
Yet, according to a recent Associated Press report, “more than a quarter of major U.S. TV stations intend to shut down their analog broadcasts on Feb. 17, sticking to the original date despite the wish of the Obama administration that they wait until June.”
What’s going to happen in the Grand Strand’s TVLand?
And what’s the big deal anyway?
Are there really people out there without cable or satellite TV?
Are any local broadcasters going ahead with Tuesday’s plan to ditch analog in favor of the new digital technology?
Is the Grand Strand ready for the big switch, and barring those unable to pay for converter boxes, cable or satellite service – will time sneak up on procrastinators, leaving the same groups unprepared? Local media has been attempting to educate consumers for nearly two years, or as NBC affiliate WMBF-TV Vice President and General Manager Ted Fortenberry puts it, “it’s not like the public has only heard about this since last week.” The blitz, indeed, has been unavoidable, but will local folks react in time?
With the exception of the already-digital WMBF (NBC), all remaining Grand Strand broadcasters and network affiliates – WBTW (CBS), WPDE (ABC) and WFXB (FOX) will continue to provide analog signal until June 12. Public television network ETV, however, will make the digital switch on Tuesday as planned – the original cutoff date.
In the spirit of public service, Weekly Surge put its finger on the pulse of the community and has gathered a wealth of information from local experts so that no household (at least within our readership) is left with nothing but snow on their sets.
Ostensibly, the conversion to DTV allows broadcasters to offer television with better picture and sound quality. The fact that analog, over-the-air technology has become rather archaic in our digital age is a consideration as well. Perhaps more to the point is what the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, has to say about the change:
“Converting to DTV also will free up parts of the scarce and valuable broadcast spectrum. Those portions of the spectrum can then be used for other important services, such as public and safety services (police and fire departments, emergency rescue), and advanced wireless services.” Think ubiquitous wireless broadband for all and a dedicated public safety network in the area of the spectrum freed-up by the removal of analog broadcast signals.BROADCASTERS SIGN IN
Rob Schaller, Director of Communications for public television stalwart SCETV, reports that the network is going ahead with the digital switch on Tuesday, the original target date. “Since Congress set the February 17 deadline in December 2005, ETV has worked diligently to build out each of its 11 transmitter towers in order to meet this deadline. It has also conducted a lengthy public awareness campaign to help our viewers prepare, including a nationally-recognized DTV web site [see sidebar], special programming on ETV and ETV Radio, and the most up-to-date information included in ETV’s e-newsletters and in the SCENE member’s magazine.”
One ETV station, WRLK in Columbia, became the first in South Carolina to broadcast digitally when it went on the air in 2000.
According to Schaller, ETV will save roughly $35,000 per month in electrical costs by shutting off its 11 analog transmitters. This figure does not include maintenance costs to keep the aging transmitters up and running. Additionally, these substantial cost savings had already been factored into the budget for the current year, and do not allow ETV the option of waiting until June to make the change.
“We believe we have done everything we could to help our viewers be ready by arming them with the best information available, so that they can make informed decisions about what they need to do,” says Schaller.
Indeed, digital television ushers in a new era for viewers.
“The viewing benefits of DTV are significant,” asserts Michael Caplan, Vice President and General Manager of local CBS affiliate WBTW, “both in quality and in the quantity of free, over-the-air television that will be available. We will continue to communicate the many positives of DTV while promoting awareness and the steps necessary to make the change.” WBTW will now turn off its analog transmitter in June.
NBC affiliate WMBF has been broadcasting exclusively in digital since its arrival on the Grand Strand in August 2008. “I think everybody understands that since we’re the new station in the market that we’re already digital,” Fortenberry says, but tips his hat to other area stations. “I give credit to the folks at the other stations in the market. They have done such a good job of making viewers aware of what’s going on.”
On Sept. 8, the nearby city of Wilmington, N.C., became the first region in the country to stop transmitting analog signals and switch to an all-digital format – a milestone event that came about as a result of a nationwide tour by FCC commissioners and staff to locate potential “trouble areas” served by over-the-air transmissions.
A glance at www.consumeraffairs.com told us more: “The FCC had aggressively deployed staff and resources in Wilmington to help answer questions and provide information about the DTV transition, as well as supplementing campaigns by local television stations. The agency has been stung by criticism that it has not done enough to facilitate awareness of the change and get consumers the assistance they need.”
Nonetheless, Wilmington remains digital-only as a result of this DTV Test Pilot Program.
We checked with Gary McNair, Vice President and General Manager at Wilmington’s NBC affiliate, WECT, for some perspective: “Most over-the-air viewers love [DTV] once they figure out best practices for reception,” he says.
On Dec. 6, McNair contributed an editorial to Radio Business Report/Television Business Report (www.rbr.com), an online resource for broadcast professionals, and he summed up his take on the situation in Wilmington in the quote below:
“I’ll admit it. I was naive. I thought this digital conversion would be just like Y2K – loaded with angst, and then a peaceful ending. I was wrong. We were not allowed to enjoy the fruits of our labor when we crossed the finish line on September 8th – at least not at this station.
With the help of the NAB [National Association of Broadcasters], the FCC, and teamwork among the stations, we did a wonderful job educating the public about the digital transition. Only a handful admitted to being surprised by it all. But many in and near the Wilmington market had problems. And most of those problems were a result of WECT not replicating signal. We took advantage of this transition opportunity to move to a better transmission site. And this made our transmission point closer for most viewers in our market, and farther away for others.”
RABBIT EARS AND AERIALS
So who uses rabbit ears and has anyone seen an aerial, rooftop antenna lately?
“Go a little bit inland into South Carolina,” says Chris Tyndall, Home Theater Supervisor at the Best Buy electronics store in Myrtle Beach. “A lot of people don’t have cable out there, and some opt not to do satellite. They may not watch a lot of TV, so they’ll just use the aerial. They might get five to 10 channels because of their location, but they can still get all of their local news.”
Pat Parker, Advanced Production Manager for Media Services at Coastal Carolina University adds that one of the largest groups that might rely on antennas is the recreational vehicle (RV) community, which frequent area campgrounds. “They travel from location to location usually for short periods of time and use an antenna,” he says, “but some campers have installed a DTV converter box or have upgraded to new television receivers with digital tuners to pick up the most channels possible.” Parker says that many campgrounds offer cable connections, but the state and national parks do not offer this service.
WBTW’s Caplan citing recently released Nielsen numbers from January, said the Myrtle Beach/Florence market includes 285,010 households with TVs, and of those households, 2.3 percent are on the government’s converter box coupon list. Yet only 1 percent of those households on the coupon waiting-list are over-the-air TV consumers – i.e. they don’t have cable or satellite. “Approximately 9 per cent of the Myrtle Beach/ Florence market relies solely on over-the-air [reception]. These viewers most often reside in the more rural areas. I know all of the broadcasters in our market remain committed to doing everything we possibly can to minimize the potential for interruption of signal to any of these households.”
That’s compared to 17.7 percent of U.S. residents who dwell in abodes with over-the-air traditional TV, according to MRI (Mediamark Research and Intelligence).
It’s clearly not a majority, as an MRI report issued in October points out, yet it’s still significant – 39.3 million people, to be exact.
Add to this the number of those in poverty who rely on rabbit ears and it becomes clear that an infusion of funds is necessary to keep the converter box coupon program afloat.
And what of the retirees who flood the Grand Strand and the elderly? There would seem to be legitimate concerns here. We spoke with Greg Savell, administrator at Eagle Crest, a retirement complex in Myrtle Beach, who reports that every unit his facility is hard-wired for cable, in this case Time Warner, and that there are no holdouts in residence opting to use antennas. The reasoning behind this is that if people are paying for what Eagle Crest touts as “gracious retirement living,” one would expect the amenities that go with that.
Ditto for Amy Craven, Business Manager at Magnolias Assisted Living of Myrtle Beach, who tells us that nobody uses rabbit ears there either because the facility uses cable. No one has come to Craven with any concerns or confusion about the DTV transition.
In light of all of this, has there been a mad rush for converter boxes?
Best Buy’s Tyndall cites a steady stream of customers coming in for such items. “At one point it was a little heavier – people getting in early when they got their coupons,” he says. “Even with the delay on the coupons, you still have people coming in and purchasing the boxes. It’s not been a mad rush. We have plenty in stock and I know most places do. All of the electronics manufacturers are supporting the transition heavily.” Also, the fact that a lot of people are buying new TVs with digital tuners inside helps to provide some counterbalance. “Instead of buying boxes, they can buy a new TV.”
Although there are new antennas on the market aimed at the transition, Tyndall is quick to point out the fact that, while these are improved or “smart” antennas, they may be unnecessary. “You can still use your same set of rabbit ears to hook into the converter box when the changeover happens,” he says.
The main point for Tyndall is that if a customer has cable or satellite service or a newer TV set, they are most likely ready by default. “But some customers will still have emergency TVs – we see that all of the time, so we make sure they know how to use the boxes.”
WELL GROUNDED
Cable and satellite customers don’t have to worry about the transition because the changeover will happen automatically, but we still wanted to determine if there was a general sense of confusion at play.
Local cable provider HTC’s Marketing Supervisor Sandy Hendrick has worked directly with the company’s involvement with the digital transition. “HTC has worked hard to educate our customers about this since early 2008. Some of our efforts have included monthly bill messages, web site notifications, special programming segments on our local access channel, commercials and staffing local help lines for one of our local broadcast stations,” he says, adding that some customers were under the impression that they would have to buy a new television or be forced to use a set top box. “This confusion has been cleared up as we have made a big effort around education.”
Similarly, Time Warner Cable is not seeing any sort of panic, according to Melissa Buscher, Director of Media Relations, and efforts to inform and to educate the community are paramount. “We are doing several things in partnership with broadcasters to make sure everyone is DTV ready,” says Buscher. “In the Myrtle Beach area, we’ve participated in three DTV phone banks [call centers] with [ABC affiliate] WPDE. We also have a partnership with WMBF to run PSAs [public service announcements]. There is a DTV message on residential statements each month.”
Buscher reports that the cable industry has committed $200 million to educate the public about the DTV transition. “Time Warner’s in-kind airtime donation is $30 million nationwide.”
HTC has not seen a significant influx of new customers as a result of the switchover, and Time Warner is not tracking these numbers specifically. Says Time Warner’s Buscher: “The most important message is that members of the community know all of their options.”
WILL WE BE READY?
WBTW’s Caplan cites a steady volume of phone calls during his station’s “soft tests” and help lines, but says the questions have shifted to “being primarily focused on converter box coupon availability, how to properly scan the boxes and on effectively installing antennas.”
“Many of the questions are basic and/or are geared toward specific equipment set-up,” says ETV’s Schaller. “People who grew accustomed to having a weak signal and a fuzzy picture might not realize that a digital signal is all or nothing. Digital doesn’t have gradations in signal quality the way analog signals do.”
CCU’s Parker feels that the Grand Strand area should be ready by now. “There has been extensive promotion of the transition and I do not know of anyone that has not heard of or taken some action if necessary to become ready.”
DELAY - YEA OR NAY
Even with the new June 12 deadline, time has a way of slipping by, and there is a real danger that the same folks will remain unprepared.
Parker sees no benefit in the delay: “Anyone that has chosen to put off doing anything is just procrastinating and additional time will not fix that issue. Unless they have been living with their heads in the sand, they should be aware of the transition process. The campaign has been promoted for two years.
With the extension, broadcasters are required to operate both analog and digital transmitters, and this is a great waste of resources. An analog broadcast transmitter for television uses a tremendous amount of electricity. Multiply this by every transmitter across the United States. Tuesday’s deadline had been planned for years, and most broadcast managers planned their budgets accordingly. In times when most organizations, especially governmental organizations, are trying to become more green conscious, the four-month delay costs more than dollars.”
The fact that the switchover has been in the works for years is not lost on WMBF’s Fortenberry. “It’s like some people who wait to go Christmas shopping until 7 o’clock on Christmas Eve,” he chuckles. “But the problem is about the coupon program. If they didn’t run out of money earlier, the Feb. 17 deadline wouldn’t have been a big concern. We are a world of procrastinators – so what happened is that they waited until the last minute and then the money was gone.”
Although ETV is making the jump on the original date, Schaller sees valid points on each side of the “for-or-against delay” question. “All I can say is that we believe making the switch on Feb. 17 will bring the most benefit to ETV and its viewers across the state, and we are committed to helping them make the switch with us.”
Regardless of the transition date, Caplan says WBTW will continue to focus on educating the community. “We want to ensure that everyone interested in making the change to DTV has the awareness and information needed to do so.”
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