NAB Urges FCC to Prepare Robust Call Center for Digital TV Transition

October 15, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC — National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) President and CEO David K. Rehr sent the following letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Kevin Martin highlighting the importance of a robust FCC call center to respond to consumer inquiries about the digital television (DTV) transition. In anticipation of a massive number of calls, NAB is urging the FCC to use its DTV consumer education funds to fulfill a critical government function of responding to viewers. On February 17, 2009, all full-power television stations must complete their transition from analog to digital broadcasting.

The Honorable Kevin J. Martin
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW
Washington DC 20554
 

Dear Chairman Martin:

I was pleased to see that Congress recently authorized the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to spend an additional $20 million for consumer education about the digital television (DTV) transition.

I believe, and I hope you will agree, that one essential use for this funding is to make the FCC Call Center as robust and prepared as possible for the massive number of consumer calls that will come in during these last few months before the transition is completed on February 17, 2009.

As you know, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and our partner organizations in the DTV Transition Coalition have been heavily promoting the upcoming switch to digital television, which is less than five months away. We are pleased to report that awareness is at near universal levels – 92 percent of consumers are aware of the transition according to a new NAB survey.

Television stations nationwide will continue airing an abundance of on-air spots to educate their viewers about how to successfully upgrade in time for the transition. These spots will continue to promote the FCC Call Center phone numbers. When broadcasters' on-air spots directed viewers to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's consumer phone lines, it resulted in hundreds of thousands of calls. The FCC Call Center will no doubt be similarly deluged by consumer inquiries.

As our recent experience in Wilmington, N.C., demonstrated, consumers will still have many questions as the transition date approaches. Because the FCC Call Center is a primary information source, I urge you to devote a significant amount of this new DTV consumer education funding to this critical government function of responding to viewers' questions.

Please contact me if there is any way NAB can be of service to you, your staff or other commissioners, as we prepare for a successful transition to all-digital television broadcasting.

Best wishes.

 
Sincerely,
 
 
David K. Rehr