Guest Blog: Government-Subsidized TV Converter Boxes Will Actually Block Signals From Thousands of Broadcasters Posted by Bob at 03/06/08 11:44 AM

(The writer is Amy Brown, Executive Director and Secretary of the Community Broadcasters Association, which represents more than 2,900 Class A and Low Power TV Stations in the U.S.)

Imagine this…

The FCC and NTIA are being short-sighted in their efforts to complete the digital television transition. One hand doesn’t seem to know what the other hand is doing. Don’t be surprised when the public ends up confused.

While full power TV stations must stop analog broadcasting on February 17, 2009, Class A and LPTV stations and TV translators don’t have a deadline. Most of them are likely to keep their analog signals on the air for several more years.

Congress appropriated money for NTIA to help analog TV translators buy converters, so that they can pick up digital full power signals and rebroadcast them in analog. That was a great public service and will keep major network and independent services coming to rural and mountainous areas that have trouble receiving distant full power stations.

But wait…

Congress also gave NTIA money to issue $40 coupons to the public to pay for DTV converter boxes that will let them watch digital stations on their analog TV sets – another great service. But guess what? NTIA is certifying converters that not only convert digital signals but actually block analog signals, so that users can’t watch analog Class A, LPTV, and TV translator stations any more. So the government is financing continued broadcasting by analog translators and then is paying for boxes that will prevent viewers from watching those same stations? Now does that make sense?

The Community Broadcasters Association (“CBA”) asked NTIA to require converter boxes to pass through analog signals, but NTIA refused. CBA has now filed a petition with the FCC pointing out that boxes which block analog signals violates the All Channel Receiver Act – the same law that requires all TV sets to receive both VHF and UHF channels, and the same law the FCC relied on when it required all new TV sets, VCRs and other devices with tuners to have digital reception capability.

I am dumbfounded to witness how the NTIA, which oversees the coupon program and certifies the converter boxes, has made such a huge mistake concerning the digital transition. And if NTIA can’t figure it out, the FCC should understand that boxes that block analog signals violate the law – no two ways about it.

Tony Wilhelm, director of DTV coupon program consumer education for the NTIA, pointed out in a recent TV Technology article that a customer who chooses the Sling TR40 would essentially have a free converter box. But what NTIA doesn’t say is that these $39.99 boxes won’t be available until June, and the 1 million people who ordered their coupons on January 1st will be out of luck, because their coupons expire after 90 days.

NTIA’s Acting Administrator Meredith Baker recently announced that 28 converter boxes have been certified as coupon-eligible. But the government has not mandated that these devices be able to receive analog signals, nor has it advertised to the public that most of the boxes won’t let them watch analog stations. They aren’t even requiring boxes that don’t work with analog stations be marked to warn consumers. We are very concerned that viewers of LPTV and translators will mistakenly buy models that will cut them off from the stations they want to watch.

Time is NOT on our side. We must let everyone know the seriousness of the flawed DTV Transition put forth by our government and subsidized with our tax dollars.

To make things worse, CEA, NTIA, NCTA, NAB, and the FCC are all advertising that, “all analog television ceases on February 17, 2009.” That’s just not true. Four out of five TV transmitters in the U.S. will not cease analog broadcasting on that date.

The CBA is fighting for what is right, lawful and what will continue to keep us successful as LPTV, Class A and Translator operators. We are fighting for the rights of the American public to be able to see all federally licensed broadcast stations, before and after the full power transition to digital. And the law is on our side.

There has been positive dialog between our association, the NTIA and FCC, but neither group has agreed that converters that block analog signals are illegal. If no resolution comes about by the end of this month, the CBA intends to seek judicial relief.

In markets across the country, Class A, LPTV and translator stations provide important local programming, serve foreign language communities and are often the only source of broadcast television in rural areas. These facts make it difficult for the CBA that represents them to accept the short-sightedness of our government, let alone ignoring the All Channel Receiver law.

If the digital transition is going to succeed, we need a better thought out subsidy program and educational effort.

Amy Brown
1-800-215-7655 ph
www.KeepUsOn.com

comments (6)

1 Posted by EE Underwood at 03/19/08 01:32 PM

Which signal converters block analog signals

2 Posted by Michele at 04/08/08 12:23 AM

I purchased two of the converter boxes,with coupons,have them for 3months,I can't get some of the channel, I use to get without the box,after 3 month on April 7,2008. I was watch tv and my screen started to burn away,so I unplug the converter boxes,than I went back to read my manual,and I notice a note on one of the pages stating ,If the Tv is left on Still for a long period of time , the TV image may cause a Burn-in effect damaging your TV Screen, I don't used the Still button on my Remote,and that's what happen to my TV.My TV screen WAS BURNED.I need some help to find out what can I do about this problem. I don't know if I'm the First person to have this problem,but it will happen again.

3 Posted by reb at 04/20/08 07:58 PM

i just saw the DTV conversion show on my local news channel. I wanted to know if the digital convertor box would work NOW - it appeared that the convertor might give us access to more channels NOW. So, i checked my question on google - and found this article. WOW do i feel hoodwinked!

We use rabbit ears and have for years. We get sufficient channels to meet our needs. Avoid paying the high cable fees.

Didn't know the convertor would essentially block all continued analog signals. Didn't know some channels would remain on air analog. Didn't know that the convertor box would/could create burn in on the tv.

Just feel like no one is telling us the whole story.

Like post 1 above by underwood - which convertor WON:T block the analog channels that continue to broadcast?

HELP - please provide more info.

4 Posted by Pat at 05/04/08 04:22 PM

This is what I was told. The paperwork that comes with the cards to get you Converter Box, has a partial list of manufacture's models. Some of these models have a *ASTERICKS* by it. Those with the ASTERICKS can be used now, if you hook up the models lacking the *ASTERICKS* it will block the signals UNTIL the effective date in February.

5 Posted by C Tong at 07/03/08 06:12 PM

I am trying to find out where Echostar TR-40 or either Philco TB100HH9/TB150HH9. These are two of the three converter boxes "capable of passing through an analog signal to the TV set."
My next visit into cyperspace is to www.DTV2009.gov/lowpower for more details about the analog class A, LPTV and TV translator stations that I now receive on my current TV.
Unlike most people, I am willing to do without a TV if there is no converter box made in any country friendly to the United States that will keep us from going deeper into debt because of an imbalance of payments to that country. Have not bought anything from Communist China for many years now -- and have survived.

It is 3 July 2008. My TV converter box coupons are no good after 10 July, one week from now. The only store in our town that sells the converer boxes carries one brand (made in communist China), which is currently on backorder. They do not know when this backorder will be filled.

6 Posted by CarlB at 07/06/08 09:36 PM

It's not just low-power TV stations which are affected; anything received over-the-air from Canadian or Mexican border stations will also remain analog until at least 2011 (Canada) or 2021 (Mexico). Most of the non-US stations do not transmit a digital signal at all yet.