Digital Television (DTV) Transition Campaign
DTV Transition Today’s Agenda Webcast Archives 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 NBC4 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) 12
NTIA Update More than 10% of total coupon allocation Demand for coupons now averaging 70k/day 60% of applications through www.DTV2009.gov 40% through phone (888-DTV-2009), mail and fax Applications: Roughly 50% broadcast-only households, 50% cable plus OTA 13
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 14
Coupon Demand Top 10 States Texas (21%) California (16.5%) Michigan (14.5%) Pennsylvania (9.6%) Illinois (17.1%) Ohio (15.9%) Florida (8.9%) New York (9.5%) Indiana (18.6%) 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 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 16
NTIA Retailer Certifications Includes 8 of 10 top retailers 17
NTIA Update Certifications: Boxes 34 DTV converter boxes are certified for purchase with coupon EchoStar box will retail for $39.99 (Coupon is $40) Three boxes have analog “pass-through” option Certified boxes cannot have analog tuners 18
NTIA Update NTIA has committed to making coupon data public By state By DMA By zip code 19
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 20
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 21
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 22
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 23
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 “pass-through,” must purchase an A/B switch and splitter Cost: ~$15 at Radio Shack 25
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 26
Challenge: Antennas 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 27
Disposing of Old Sets TV Recycling CEA maintains Web site with recycling locations – www.mygreenelectronics.org 28
Digital Television (DTV) Transition Campaign
DTV Awareness Awareness jumps from 49-83% after TV spots Source: NAB surveys, Aug. 05, Jan. 07, Sept.07, Jan. 08 30
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 31
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 32
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 33
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. 34
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 35
Outreach: DTV Road Show 600 Events Nationwide First Step: We Contact Stations DTV Trekker stop at Totally Tejas event in San Antonio, TX 36
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 37
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 38
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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
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 41
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 42
Antennaweb.org Website to help consumers select an appropriate over-the-air antenna Increased popularity as DTV transition moves forward NAB partnering with CEA to update and co-sponsor the Web site 43
DTV Transition 383 Days Left! 44