While the Presidential transition has garnered massive amounts of attention, a different kind transition looms before America. On February 17th television stations will no longer broadcast in analog, and will instead broadcast digitally, requiring viewers without digital TV's or cable to purchase converter boxes to continue watching. According to the Urban Progressive Foundation (UPF), this requirement may generate a crisis in underserved communities.
"Unfortunately, there is a disproportionate number of underserved communities that are being impacted tremendously by the transition to digital television, we're dealing with elderly, minorities, disabled, and rural [communities]," said Denise Rhodes, Executive Director of the UPF during a panel discussion on the transition.
Rhodes pointed out that there are 35 million Americans who still use rabbit ear and rooftop antennas, and is concerned that they will be ignored following the conversion.
One aspect of the conversion that has discouraged many consumers is the cost of the conversion box, currently sold at roughly $50. Magaly Rivera, Development Director of the Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network, INC. described the reaction to the price from a workshop their organization held to prepare day workers and English students.
"From the moment that the question came up as to how much the converter box was, about 70% of the audience left. That means for them, food is important. For them, being able to work and have job skills is important. Being able to learn another language, namely English, is important. They do not see having a TV set as a critical, necessary, criteria."
To mitigate fears of affordability, the Commerce Department has issued coupons that would cover $40 dollars for the converter box's cost to 21 million households. However, 11 million of these coupons have already expired with no possibility for renewal.
There are questions regarding whether the U.S. will be ready by February. These concerns arose recently in Wilmington, N.C., where the FCC had designated the town as the first test market.
"As a rule, Americans procrastinate. We saw a surge the weekend before the conversion in our stores and in that particular case, that was the weekend that had a hurricane bearing upon Wilmington, N.C.," said Christopher A. McLean, Executive Director of the Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition.
"People wait to request the coupons, they wait to go shopping, and they waited to install. A number of folks didn't do their installation and didn't know they had difficulties until the date had come upon them."
Digital conversion may spark crisis
"Unfortunately, there is a disproportionate number of underserved communities that are being impacted tremendously by the transition to digital television, we're dealing with elderly, minorities, disabled, and rural [communities]," said Denise Rhodes, Executive Director of the UPF during a panel discussion on the transition.
Rhodes pointed out that there are 35 million Americans who still use rabbit ear and rooftop antennas, and is concerned that they will be ignored following the conversion.
One aspect of the conversion that has discouraged many consumers is the cost of the conversion box, currently sold at roughly $50. Magaly Rivera, Development Director of the Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network, INC. described the reaction to the price from a workshop their organization held to prepare day workers and English students.
"From the moment that the question came up as to how much the converter box was, about 70% of the audience left. That means for them, food is important. For them, being able to work and have job skills is important. Being able to learn another language, namely English, is important. They do not see having a TV set as a critical, necessary, criteria."
To mitigate fears of affordability, the Commerce Department has issued coupons that would cover $40 dollars for the converter box's cost to 21 million households. However, 11 million of these coupons have already expired with no possibility for renewal.
There are questions regarding whether the U.S. will be ready by February. These concerns arose recently in Wilmington, N.C., where the FCC had designated the town as the first test market.
"As a rule, Americans procrastinate. We saw a surge the weekend before the conversion in our stores and in that particular case, that was the weekend that had a hurricane bearing upon Wilmington, N.C.," said Christopher A. McLean, Executive Director of the Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition.
"People wait to request the coupons, they wait to go shopping, and they waited to install. A number of folks didn't do their installation and didn't know they had difficulties until the date had come upon them."