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Seattle Mayor, City Council urge retailers to provide options for a no-cost DTV conversion
Fri, 01/23/2009 - 4:13pm
Date:
January 22, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 22 JAN 2009
Contact: Jonathan Lawson, Executive Director, 206.931.0565
Seattle Mayor, City Council urge local retailers
to do their part for a no-cost Digital TV transition
Two weeks after a federal Digital TV coupon program effectively ran out of cash, elected officials in Seattle are asking retailers to do their part to help local consumers prepare for the upcoming Digital TV transition (currently scheduled for Feb. 17). Mayor Greg Nickels wrote to local electronics retailers asking them to carry DTV converter boxes at the low cost of $40-$45. City Council Energy and Technology Committee Chair Bruce Harrell and other Councilmembers are following up with a similar letter.
The digital converter boxes provide consumers with the cheapest option for dealing with the DTV switch, allowing over-the-air viewers to continue tuning in local stations without having to buy a new television. Most Seattle-area electronics retailers are charging $60 and up for the boxes, despite the fact that box models are available online and in some retail outlets outside Seattle costing just $40. That low price, currently unavailable in Seattle stores, would provide a no-cost conversion option to consumers equipped with a $40 coupon obtained through the federal program.
The letters sent by Mayor Nickels and the City Council read in part:
- The city is concerned that [local retailers' refusal to carry
low-cost boxes] will cause an economic hardship for many lower-income
households and individuals, including elders and people with
disabilities. Therefore, we call upon local retailers to offer for
sale at least one DTV converter box model, equipped with closed
captioning and analog pass-through capabilities, in the $40-$45 price
range.
- For many viewers, TV is a basic necessity, not a luxury providing local news, weather and emergency broadcast information which nobody in our community should be without. We strongly encourage local retailers to do the right thing in this matter.
The DTV converter box coupon program, administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), effectively ran out of money after a swell of interest over the holidays. Consumers applying for free $40 coupons are now being placed on a waiting list currently numbering over 2.5 million. Congress is considering proposals to replenish funds for the coupon program, along with an Obama-backed proposal to delay the transition date until late spring.
In order to provide information and assistance to local residents struggling with the digital TV transition, local nonprofit groups are setting up a Seattle DTV Assistance Center. Information and resources on the DTV transition are available now on the web at www.seattledtv.com. Beginning February 1, the center will activate a DTV assistance telephone hotline at 206.508.1277. The Seattle DTV Assistance Center is a project of Reclaim the Media in partnership with the Youngstown Cultural Center, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Educational Fund, and other local organizations.
- More information: www.seattledtv.com
- National coupon program homepage: www.dtv2009.gov or 888-DTV-2009
- Online version
- Mayor's letter to retailers
- Seattle/Tacoma retailers selling DTV converters and participating in the coupon program:
- Aafes
- Albertsons
- Best Buy
- Circuit City
- Fred Meyer
- Fry's Electronics
- Kmart
- Magnolia Audio Video
- Office Depot
- Radio Shack
- Rite-Aid Pharmacy
- Sears
- Target
- Your Wireless Store
Find press release here.