February 5th, 2009
We're ready for digital TV, Mr. President. No more delays, please.
A new poll, conducted by the National Association of Broadcasters, found that 82 percent of Americans who receive over-the-air broadcast signals have already taken steps to prepare themselves for the switch to digital television. But that’s not the big number that caught my eye in the NAB’s press release.
Ready or not, 97 percent of Americans are aware of the digital TV transition, understand that the switch-over will impact over-the-air broadcasts and even knew that the date was in February 2009.
Also see:
Senate OKs unnecessary delay to digital TV switch
DTV delay bill clears Congress
Those are pretty strong numbers - and yet, because 3 percent of the population has had their heads buried in the sand for well over a year, we’re going to extend this deadline once again. Why? Clearly, those folks don’t actually watch TV. I mean, can you even turn on the TV these days without hearing something about the digital TV switch? (Messages about it are actually scrolling across the top of my screen these days.) The NAB has already dropped $1 billion on a massive nationwide campaign to educate Americans - and it considers a 97 percent awareness level to be pretty darn good. I agree with them.
So here’s my final plea to President Obama: Don’t sign that bill when it hits your desk. Another delay will just do more harm than good. It’s time to move on and shift our focus back on the other pressing issues in Washington.
Sam Diaz is a senior editor at ZDNet. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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