Digital-broadcast deadline coming Feb. 17

Federal Communications Commissioner Deborah Tate has a clock on her desk with the numbers of days, hours and minutes until Feb. 17, the day over-the-air TV stations switch to digital broadcasting.

Consumers with cable or satellite TV can hold steady, but the 15 percent of the nation’s population that watches analog TV needs to buy a converter box before the February deadline. Each household may apply to Uncle Sam for two $40 coupons, which come by mail.

Broadcast stations in Wilmington, N.C., went all-digital earlier this month as part of an experiment, Tate said.

FCC members have been hitting areas where a higher-than-average number of people will need to buy converter boxes — which is what brought Tate to Atlanta on Monday. She met with area broadcasters and community leaders at Georgia Public Broadcasting to learn what they are doing to tell people about the transition as well as to hear their concerns.

Q: Is the message about what consumers have to do to prepare for Feb. 17 getting out?

A: Yes. Ninety percent of Americans understand that we’re going through a digital transition. In Atlanta, the percentage of people who understand that is a bit smaller —88 percent — and we wanted to be sure that we came here to make sure people are getting the message out.

Q: What are the headlines out of Wilmington?

A: The best part is that 90 percent of the people know about this. This is literally almost a house-by-house transition and dealing with individual questions: How do I connect my box? …Which way is my antenna supposed to be turned?…

Q: Will there be an extension of the Feb. 17 deadline?

A: After a $1 billion investment in this, I hope not. I haven’t heard about any kind of an extension.

Q: How secure is the government funding for the $40 coupons?

A: The NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) is the group administering that program. They have requested more funding from Congress, but they do feel confident, especially with only 15 percent of the population having to get these coupons, that the money will be there. But they are urging people to go ahead and get their coupons and to not let them expire.

Q: Is there a future for over-the-air TV?

A: That’s a great question for an engineer. We’re just trying to get people to move through to digital and get them to understand why we need the spectrum: for innovative wireless devices and for a nationwide broadband network for public-safety use.