NAB's New Digital TV Spot Reaches Consumers at the Gas Pump

November 20, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC — A new television spot produced by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to help consumers make the transition to digital television (DTV) is airing on TV screens at gas stations in some of the largest markets in the country.

PumpTop TV, the nation's leading provider of digital media at the gas pump, began airing NAB's spot in mid-November across its network, which includes 720 gas stations representing 6,500 screens in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas-Ft. Worth, San Francisco, Boston, Houston, Phoenix, Sacramento and San Diego.

NAB's spot will run until February 17, 2009, when all full-power television stations must complete their transition to all-digital broadcasting. A Spanish-language version of the spot will be shown at selected gas stations in California, Arizona and Texas, where there are large numbers of Hispanic viewers.

"With television messages driving awareness of the DTV transition, our new partnership with PumpTop TV provides an exciting and innovative way for broadcasters to extend their consumer education efforts outside the home," said Jonathan Collegio, NAB vice president for the DTV transition.

PumpTop TV delivers a variety of programming on daylight-viewable LCD screens mounted on top of each gas pump. PumpTop TV estimates that more than 70 percent of consumers fill their tanks 1.5 times per week and spend an average of 6 minutes refueling.

"PumpTop TV reaches TV viewers out of the home and on the go, so our network is a perfect complement to NAB's media efforts for this important campaign," said Paul Schmidt, vice president of sales for PumpTop TV. "We are pleased to support NAB in educating Americans about the DTV transition."

NAB is leading a massive consumer education campaign valued at more than $1 billion to educate America about the transition to all-digital television broadcasting. About 19.6 million households rely only on free, over-the-air television and risk losing reception unless they purchase a converter box or digital TV set, or subscribe to a pay TV service.