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Washington,
D.C.—In
comments submitted to
the Federal Communications Commission Friday, the nation’s
oldest consumer advocacy group conveyed its disappointment in
the agency’s lack of preparation to educate consumers about the
impending transition from analog to digital television (DTV). On
February 17, 2009, a deadline established by Congress, consumers
will be forced to deal with what the National Consumers League
calls “the most significant event for television-viewers since
the invention of television itself.” The Washington, DC-based
nonprofit consumer and worker advocacy group has criticized the
FCC for its failure to plan a major public awareness campaign
and to ask Congress for sufficient funds to carry it out.
The FCC has issued a notice of proposed
rulemaking asking if it should require broadcast licensees and
others it regulates to educate the public through on-air public
service announcements, billing inserts, and other channels at
their disposal. While NCL agrees that these businesses should be
enlisted to help inform consumers, it has called upon the FCC to
develop and control the message. “NCL believes that it is the
FCC’s responsibility to design and conduct the public awareness
campaign that is needed to equip consumers to deal successfully
with the transition to DTV. Delegating that responsibility to
the private sector is the least desirable approach because it
would be difficult for the FCC to ensure that consumers receive
adequate, accurate, consistent, and effective information,”
wrote NCL Vice President for Public Policy Susan Grant.
NCL urged the FCC to employ a campaign
that would include paid television commercials and other forms
of advertising, in multiple media and languages. To accomplish
this, NCL suggested that the FCC create a public awareness
campaign fund to which the private sector could contribute, and
called on the agency to work with a broad array of businesses,
consumer organizations, social service agencies, community
groups, and others to plan and implement the campaign.
NCL also suggested that the FCC should set
requirements for retailers to ensure that consumers get the
correct information and avoid abuse in the converter box coupon
program. When the transition from analog to digital television
occurs on February 17, 2009, consumers who receive television
signals “over-the-air,” rather than through cable or satellite,
will need converters. The federal government will provide
coupons to consumers who need the converters to help defray the
cost.
To view a copy of the comments submitted
by the National Consumers League, visit
www.nclnet.org.
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