NCL Advocacy: Digital TV Transition

Smart Digital TV Transition

Statement of Linda F. Golodner

President, National Consumers League

October 6, 2005

I am Linda Golodner, President of the National Consumers League. We are a member of the Coalition for a Smart Digital TV Transition. And call on Congress to carefully consider three unresolved issues concerning the pending DTV legislation:

Compensation – a subsidy -- for set top boxes
Funding for consumer education and outreach
Authorization for multicast must carry

Consumers who do not subscribe to cable or cannot afford a digital receiver or a set top converter box will have a special New Year present on December 31, 2008 – no television service.

When the final transition to digital TV is complete, nearly 73 million television sets will be obsolete overnight. Unless – steps are taken to provide compensation for the purchase of the set-top converter boxes when will be required to convert a digital signal back to an analog signal – so plain old television sets will work.

Congress must provide a subsidy for these set top boxes for those who cannot afford them. If not, millions of Americans will be in the dark on New Year’s Day 2009.

The legislation must also provide funds for consumer education and outreach – so all consumers are prepared – with the purchase of a digital TV – with the purchase of a set top box – with the information on how to get a subsidy and the set top box by December 2008.

The legislation should also include a multicasting provision. Multicast must carry enables free, over-the-air local television stations to deliver local, ethnic, and other quality programming to viewers across the country. Communities around the country need local weather, local sporting events, local government meeting broadcasts – and often in a language other than English. It is often vital to safety and preparedness, as we have been reminded in the last month of local and regional disasters.

The coalition looks forward to working with Congress to ensure that any final plan addresses these outstanding issues.


	Smart Digital TV Transition Statement of Linda F. Golodner President, National Consumers League October 6, 2005 I am Linda Golodner, President of the National Consumers League. We are a member of the Coalition for a Smart Digital TV Transition. And call on Congress to carefully consider three unresolved issues concerning the pending DTV legislation: Compensation – a subsidy -- for set top boxes Funding for consumer education and outreach Authorization for multicast must carry Consumers who do not subscribe to cable or cannot afford a digital receiver or a set top converter box will have a special New Year present on December 31, 2008 – no television service. When the final transition to digital TV is complete, nearly 73 million television sets will be obsolete overnight. Unless – steps are taken to provide compensation for the purchase of the set-top converter boxes when will be required to convert a digital signal back to an analog signal – so plain old television sets will work. Congress must provide a subsidy for these set top boxes for those who cannot afford them. If not, millions of Americans will be in the dark on New Year’s Day 2009. The legislation must also provide funds for consumer education and outreach – so all consumers are prepared – with the purchase of a digital TV – with the purchase of a set top box – with the information on how to get a subsidy and the set top box by December 2008. The legislation should also include a multicasting provision. Multicast must carry enables free, over-the-air local television stations to deliver local, ethnic, and other quality programming to viewers across the country. Communities around the country need local weather, local sporting events, local government meeting broadcasts – and often in a language other than English. It is often vital to safety and preparedness, as we have been reminded in the last month of local and regional disasters. The coalition looks forward to working with Congress to ensure that any final plan addresses these outstanding issues.