The FCC learned a couple valuable lessons from the digital television switch in Wilmington, N.C. a couple weeks ago. First: Public awareness was not a problem. Second: Access to local affiliate stations' transmission was.
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (right), testifying in front of Congress yesterday, reported on an unexpected technical hiccup which caused a number of viewers to lose the transmission of local affiliate stations. Those viewers could still watch alternative local affiliate channels, but they weren't able to access the stations they normally watched. The problem, Martin said, "won't be as easy for [the FCC] to resolve" as other minor technical glitches.
The chairman vowed to work on it, but didn't offer any promises.
"The Commission is currently exploring what steps can be taken to address this problem in Wilmington and minimize the burden on viewers throughout the country," said Martin.
It's a glitch that could affect an estimated 15 percent of the designated market areas. And it's not the only challenge the FCC must resolve, as it holds the hand of every analog-TV-watching American through the transition to digital television on Feb. 17.
Another obstacle for many analog-TV viewers, according to Martin, is the antenna. Many commenters have complained about antenna problems, and based on the data from Wilmington, they may have good reason to gripe. The FCC estimates that roughly 5 percent of over-the-air households will need a new antenna, and the experience in Wilmington, apparently, validates the FCC's expectations. (As a percentage, the number of people affected by the antenna problem appears reasonably modest. But if there are an estimated 14 million over-the-air households, that means roughly 700,000 households may need a new antenna.)
Most problems, though, according to Martin, were solved by the FCC helpline pretty readily, mainly by encouraging viewers to re-scan channels or properly hook up the converter box. Of course, the helpline got 329 calls and Wilmington only had 14,000 over-the-air households. What happens when upwards of 10 million households go digital at the same time on Feb. 17?
And although awareness was not a problem in Wilmington -- the FCC said it only 91 calls during the first week from people who didn't know the transition would take place -- the agency said it attended "over 400 outreach events, including Town Hall meetings, and distributed 85,000 publications."
Is that sort of effort sustainable nationally?
Photo: Courtesy FCC
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