Digital Television DTV Transition Campaign DTV Transition Todays

Digital Television (DTV) Transition Campaign

DTV Transition Today’s Agenda § Station best practices and examples § Converter box program developments § DTV Transition campaign updates Webcast Archives § www. dtvanswers. com/webcasts

DTV Transition Best Practices § § § Spots DTV Road Show DTV Speakers Bureau DTV Town Hall meetings News coverage

DTV Transition Spots § NAB has produced and distributed three spots • • “Get the Facts” “Revolution” “Trekker” Three more spots in early February

DTV Transition Spots § Station-specific spots • Anchor-driven spots • Produced spots

DTV Transition DTV Road Show § § Grassroots marketing initiative Great visuals 600 events nationwide in 200 markets Swing through Virginia • Four cities: Richmond, Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Roanoke • Coverage by 22 news organizations § Station-specific events • NBC 4 Health and Fitness Expo

DTV Transition DTV Speakers Bureau § 956 speakers registered from 554 stations and state broadcaster associations § Average audience: 167 attendees § Host: Family Career Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) hosted four regional meetings featuring DTV • Average attendance: 3000 -5000 • Significant news coverage

DTV Transition DTV Town Hall Meetings § Community event to stress importance of DTV Transition § Can serve to fill the 30 minute television program requirement of NAB plan § Best practice: Chicago Univision event • December 8 • On air promos • Attendance: 700

DTV Transition News Coverage § Converter boxes begin hitting shelves in February § NTIA begins distributing coupons on February 17, 2009 (two week turnaround) § Some retailers won’t be carrying converter boxes (Tweeter, high-end consumer electronics stores) § Converter box coupons won’t last at this rate

Digital Television (DTV) Transition Campaign

DTV Transition Government Update § NTIA Update § Coupon update § DTV Challenges • Coupon timing • Full power/low power • Antennas

NTIA Update § 2 million households have ordered 3. 7 million coupons (as of January 24, 2008)

NTIA Update § More than 10% of total coupon allocation § Demand for coupons now averaging 70 k/day • 60% of applications through www. DTV 2009. gov • 40% through phone (888 -DTV-2009), mail and fax § Applications: Roughly 50% broadcast-only households, 50% cable plus OTA

Coupon Distribution § NTIA currently taking orders – will start distributing coupons on 2/17/08 § Two weeks to process applications § With coupons, consumers get list of local retailers, web retailers, and catalogs accepting the coupon § Coupons expire 90 days after delivery of coupon § Consumers cannot re-apply for coupons

Coupon Demand Top 10 States 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Texas (21%) California (16. 5%) Michigan (14. 5%) Pennsylvania (9. 6%) Illinois (17. 1%) 6. Ohio (15. 9%) 7. Florida (8. 9%) 8. New York (9. 5%) 9. Indiana (18. 6%) 10. Missouri (20. 9%) NOTE: Percentages refer to the total number of OTA households in each state. Numbers available by state and zip at ntiadtv. com/coupon_stats. cfm

NTIA Retailer Certifications: Retailers § 250 retailers, representing 15, 000 stores have “expressed intent” to participate in coupon program § NTIA is “fully confident” that boxes will be available in stores by late February § Retailers association and companies privately echo NTIA on boxes being available

NTIA Retailer Certifications Includes 8 of 10 top retailers

NTIA Update Certifications: Boxes § 34 DTV converter boxes are certified for purchase with coupon § Echo. Star box will retail for $39. 99 (Coupon is $40) § Three boxes have analog “pass-through” option § Certified boxes cannot have analog tuners

NTIA Update NTIA has committed to making coupon data public § By state § By DMA § By zip code

Challenge: Coupon Process Coupons take two weeks to process § Issue: Consumers who wait until the last two weeks will lose TV reception unless they buy box without coupon § Survey: 25% of coupon applicants will wait until the last 30 days § Industry could receive blame for viewers not upgrading, and will also lose viewers during sweeps

Challenge: Coupon Process Solutions § Spots: NAB will produce a “last chance to get your coupon” spot, for release in January 2009 § Spots: NAB will urge “kill date” on all coupon spots as of February 1, 2009 § Coverage: NAB will promote issue heavily in Pulse and through station communications

Challenge: Low Power Low power stations stay in analog § Issue: NTIA prohibited analog tuners and neglected to require analog “pass through” for certified boxes § Boxes without “pass through” option block analog signals – must be disconnected for viewer to see analog programming

Challenge: Low Power Low power stations stay in analog § Low power stations – community broadcasters, Class A, translators remain in analog § Cross-border stations remain in analog • Spanish speakers in El Paso will have American programming in digital, while programming from Mexico is in analog

Challenge: Low Power Low power is confusing § Little public awareness on whether stations are FP or LP § No Nielsen data how many LP households exist § Extremely complicated message for low power viewers – community broadcasters and translators § Low power message, if disseminated widely, can and will confuse full power viewers

Challenge: Low Power Solutions § Consumer solution: • Buy a new TV set, with analog and digital tuners • Buy a converter box with a “pass-through” option • At least three “pass-through” boxes will be manufactured • Consumers who purchase a box without “passthrough, ” must purchase an A/B switch and splitter • Cost: ~$15 at Radio Shack

Challenge: Low Power NAB Action § Meeting among broadcasters in DTV Coalition scheduled for February • Released a document explaining problem to stations and state broadcaster associations: www. dtvanswers. com/lowpower § Produce and distribute two minute spot explaining low power issues to community stations § Work with FP stations that use translators to create market-specific messages on issue § Work with FCC to allow original content (issue-specific spots) to air on translators

Challenge: Antennas maximize reception… But in some cases, are necessary to upgrade • Problem: 1295 stations relocating to a channel different than their NTSC channel; many across bands • UHF antennas can’t pick up low VHF, and vice versa • Stations moving from UHF to VHF, or from VHF to UHF need to talk about antennas • Solution: Market-by-market and station-by-station approach • Solution: Promote antennas that receive both UHF and VHF

Disposing of Old Sets TV Recycling • CEA maintains Web site with recycling locations – www. mygreenelectronics. org

Digital Television (DTV) Transition Campaign

DTV Awareness jumps from 49 -83% after TV spots Source: NAB surveys, Aug. 05, Jan. 07, Sept. 07, Jan. 08

Outreach: DTV Action Spots Three spots released thus far § Fed by satellite § NAB alerts stations six times: • • • “DTV Action Item” e-mail E-mail to state broadcaster associations E-mail to group executives Story in NAB “Pulse” Reminder e-mail day before feed Reminder e-mail day of feed

Outreach: DTV Action Spots § Next spots: Distributed before 2/17/08 • 30, 25/5, 15 second versions • “Just a Box, ” “Future is Here, ” “Digital in the Air” • Produced January 22 -23 in Los Angeles • Focus: Converter box option, coupons § 10 -12 spots distributed March ’ 08 to February ‘ 09

Outreach: TV Program 30 -minute educational TV program § Producer: Park Hill Entertainment, Los Angeles § Focus: A-Z of DTV transition, with special focus on converter boxes § Shot and distributed in HD, SD § Produced in English, Spanish § Includes interviews with FCC Chairman Kevin Martin; U. S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez § Distribution: Mid-February

Outreach: Speakers Bureau § Purpose: Utilize industry’s grassroots and personnel resources as a “ground campaign” to compliment “air campaign” of spots and news coverage § Goal: 8, 000 speaking engagements • Audiences: Rotary clubs, Kiwanis clubs, retirement centers, manufacturing plants, schools, etc.

Outreach: Speakers Bureau § 977 speakers registered thus far from 596 stations and broadcaster associations § 1152 engagements booked § Plan in place for further media promotion when 1000/1000 is reached § 262 engagements completed § Average audience: 167 (Goal is 125) § Running ahead of benchmarks § Register at DTVspeak. com

Outreach: DTV Road Show 600 Events Nationwide First Step: We Contact Stations DTV Trekker stop at Totally Tejas event in San Antonio, TX

Outreach: DTV Road Show How NAB promotes DTV Trekker § News Alerts • Phone contact with news desks of stations, newspaper reporters • E-mail alert to GMs of stations in market • E-mail from NAB to group executives (beginning January) § State broadcaster associations notified • Participation by local broadcasters maximizes events

Outreach: Online DTVAnswers. com § § Launched in March 2007 Best consumer Web site on DTV Link to or use copy for station Web sites Banner ads to promote site available at www. dtvanswers. com/toolkit § Station tools available at www. dtvanswers. com/membertools

Outreach: Online DTV Transition info available: § Wikipedia. org • Article about DTV transition § Youtube. com • NAB promotional DTV video § Myspace. com • Spots, photos, etc. § Facebook. com • Spots, photos, etc.

Outreach: NAB to Stations NAB Station Outreach § “DTV Action Item” e-mails • Only with action-related materials (like satellite feeds) § “DTV Update” e-mails • News and information – passive and less often § Station Checklist: www. DTVanswers. com/checklist § Best Practices: www. DTVanswers. com/bestpractices § Marketing collateral available • New brochures: February 2008

Outreach: NAB to Stations Other Station Tools § DTV Style Guide and Messaging Toolkit • Produced by Peter Martin • Distributed electronically 1/25/08 • Hard copies delivered to station GMs in February § Graphic elements available for stations (www. dtvanswers. com/graphicelements) § All station tools available at: www. dtvanswers. com/membertools

Antennaweb. org Website to help consumers select an appropriate overthe-air antenna Increased popularity as DTV transition moves forward NAB partnering with CEA to update and co-sponsor the Web site

DTV Transition 383 Days Left!