Bob Barker to Star in TV Spots about Upcoming Switch to Digital TV
July 24, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC — After retiring last year as host of the longest-running daytime game show, Bob Barker is returning to television to remind Americans about the upcoming switch to digital television (DTV).
Barker will be featured in new television spots produced by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) encouraging viewers to upgrade their sets, so they can continue receiving television signals after the transition on February 17, 2009.
"Bob Barker is an American icon who is instantly recognizable to generations both young and old," said NAB Vice President for Digital Television Jonathan Collegio. "His support of this critical national issue will help us reach people who have not yet taken steps to upgrade to digital."
Watch the new spot with Bob Barker at www.dtvanswers.com/30secspot.
Barker also stars in spots targeted at the Wilmington, North Carolina market, which will transition to DTV in September as part of a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) experiment. NAB distributed the spots to television stations across the country on July 24.
Best known for his 35 years on the CBS game show, "The Price is Right," Barker was inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame in April 2008. He has won a total of 19 Emmy awards, including 14 as host—more than any other performer—and four as executive producer of "The Price is Right." He is also a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award for Daytime Television.
Mandated by Congress, all full-power TV stations must begin broadcasting only in digital by February 17, 2009. Consumers who watch over-the-air television on analog TV sets risk losing their reception, unless they either purchase a converter box or digital TV set, or subscribe to cable or other pay service.
Broadcasters nationwide have committed more than $1 billion to DTV transition education efforts. NAB has provided numerous television spots for stations to use to educate viewers, and will release additional spots in the coming months featuring popular entertainment personalities as part of its massive campaign to help Americans prepare for DTV.
