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Senator Klobuchar Leads Efforts to Prepare Consumers for Digital TV Transition

TV sets in 430,000 Minnesota Homes Could go Blank Next Year

February 19, 2008

Richfield, MN – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is urging Minnesota television viewers to begin preparing for the digital broadcast transition that will occur next February and directly affect tens of millions of TV sets nationwide, including 430,000 households in Minnesota.  She has created a special section on her website to provide detailed guidance to consumers about the transition. 

To help raise consumer awareness, Klobuchar held a news conference today at a local Best Buy store with Mike Vitelli, Senior Vice President of Best Buy; Skip Humphrey, President of AARP Minnesota; Jim du Bois, President & CEO of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association; and Mike Martin, Executive Director of the Minnesota Cable Communications Association.

On February 17, 2009, television broadcasters in the U.S. will stop sending analog signals and switch to sending signals only in digital format.  When this switchover occurs, analog TV sets will no longer be able to receive over-the-air broadcast signals. 

Klobuchar serves on the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over telecommunications issues, including the digital TV transition. 

“Our Committee held a hearing on this issue last fall,” said Klobuchar.  “I warned the Commerce Department, which is responsible for educating the public about this important event, that they still had a lot of work to do to get the message across.  Since then, I’ve been working with broadcasters, retailers and consumer advocates to make sure people will have the information they need to make this transition smoothly.  It’s going to be a challenge.”

Klobuchar cited a survey last month by Consumers Union that found major confusion about the transition.  For example, 36 percent of Americans living in households with TVs are entirely unaware of the transition.  In addition, 74 percent of those who said they were aware of the transition nonetheless had serious misconceptions about its impact.

The digital transition will not directly affect digitally-equipped TV sets or TV sets connected to cable or satellite service.  However, it is estimated there are more than 30 million analog TV sets in homes that depend entirely on over-the-air broadcasts.  In addition, the transition will affect some 40 million analog TV sets used for over-the-air broadcasts in homes that also have cable or satellite. 

“Preparing for the digital transition is especially important for Minnesota consumers.” Klobuchar said. “Statewide, more than 21 percent of our households depend exclusively on over-the-air broadcast TV.  That is one of the highest percentages in the country.”

Minnesota has about 430,000 households that rely solely on over-the-air broadcast TV.

To adapt to the digital transition, there are three options for people who currently have analog TV sets that receive over-the-air broadcast signals:  Add a digital converter box for the analog TV set; purchase a digitally-equipped TV set; or subscribe to a cable or satellite TV service.

Congress created a fund to help consumers with special coupons to offset the cost of purchasing digital converter boxes.   Expected to sell for $40-$70, this is a small box that connects to a TV set and converts the digital broadcast signals to analog.

Consumers can request a coupon worth $40 to be used toward the purchase of a converter box.  Each household can receive up to two coupons.  The coupon must be used within three months of being issued.  The coupon can be used at a wide variety of consumer electronics retailers.

The application for these coupons is available on Klobuchar’s Senate website.

To access the radio actuality click here.

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