[opendtv] Wilmington Lesson: Test the Boxes, People!!
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:57:58 -0400
http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/66538
Wilmington Lesson: Test the Boxes, People!!
09.12.2008
Broadcasters in Wilmington, N.C., rated their Sept. 8 early analog
shutoff a success-especially regarding their efforts to educate the
public about obtaining converter boxes.
Note to other markets: Remind people to turn on their converter boxes,
to scan for channels and, if necessary to get new antennas.
But the day highlighted that by design, the DTV transition, will bring
winners and losers. NBC affiliate WECT moved to a new tower for DTV to
get better in-market coverage, and some out-of-market viewers in places
like Raleigh lost the signal. On the other hand, WILM, the CBS affiliate
owned by Raleigh DTV pioneer Capitol Broadcasting Co., switched from
low-power analog to full-power digital and should have much greater
coverage.
Most of the calls-1,800 to the FCC and hundreds more to broadcasters and
local call centers-were resolved easily. Some people hadn't scanned
channels, for example, and were guided through, broadcasters said.
"Many of the consumer problems that they saw in Wilmington were quite
mundane," said Jonathan Collegio, NAB vice president for the digital
transition. "You had a range of people that had purchased converter
boxes, but had not plugged them in yet, and who, frankly, hadn't read
the instructions."
FCC and staff at the TV stations walked viewers through what they had to
do, broadcasters said.
And nearly everyone at least knew something about the transition,
indicating that the educational efforts of broadcasters reached most
everyone, even if some people waited until the last minute to get and
set up the boxes. A few broadcasters likened those folks to the people
scrounging the final bottles of water at the supermarket as a hurricane
is about to close in.
"It's human nature, and that's too bad," said Gary McNair, vice
president and general manager of WECT.
Looking ahead, broadcasters could adjust their message to include
re-scanning DTV channels, say the Wilmington folks.
"The main thing is education of use of the converter box and continuing
to talk about the antenna," said John Greene, vice president for special
projects with Capitol. He suggests expanding educational efforts to
include box operation and installation.
"Nationwide, stations are going to have to tell their viewers to
re-scan," said Collegio. "Otherwise they're going to get tons of calls
from folks who otherwise have done everything anything right."
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