dslreports logo
DTV Transition Partially Occurs, World Doesn't End
Federal call center easily handles user calls, problems...

About 421 of the nation's roughly 1,800 stations made the transition to digital broadcasts on the originally scheduled date (February 17), and so far the world has continued rotating. Fears that consumers weren't ready for the switch resulted in Congress extending the deadline into June, though TV stations were given the right to cut over ahead of the deadline -- as long as they got permission from the FCC. According to the Associated Press, the Federal call center created to handle user problems (1-888-CALL-FCC) easily handled call volumes and got fewer calls (28,000) than expected (100,000).

view:
topics flat nest 
apollo80
join:2002-01-31
Richmond, VA

apollo80

Member

So, the world didn't end

and stations have to fork over over $25,000 a month that they don't have in their budget (because they were told to turn analog off) to power the analog transmitters. Let there be even more layoffs in the struggling TV industry,

Hey Obama, did you consider the fact that the power to those towers is bad for GLOBAL WARMING?
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

1 edit

hottboiinnc4

Member

Re: So, the world didn't end

what major stations are laying off?
apollo80
join:2002-01-31
Richmond, VA

apollo80

Member

Re: So, the world didn't end

said by hottboiinnc4:

what major stations are laying off?
Almost everyone. Have you not been paying attention? Garnett, Raycom, hey, Young Broadcasting just filed Chapter 11!

A lot of the O and O's have had massive layoffs! (If you are unfamiliar, O and O means that the given network, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, "O"wn, and "O"perate the station.

fifty nine
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ

fifty nine

Member

Re: So, the world didn't end

Yep. Our parent company suffered billions in losses last quarter. 2009 is going to be a bloodbath I think.
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Re: So, the world didn't end

Raycom can't be doing too bad around here since they're always hiring more people.

NOCMan
MadMacHatter
Premium Member
join:2004-09-30
Colorado Springs, CO

NOCMan to apollo80

Premium Member

to apollo80
somehow I doubt 100k is going to make a difference where it comes to a station going bankrupt..

Any business who's doing bad now was doing bad when it was good. Happens every recession, it filters out the crappy companies.

fifty nine
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ

fifty nine

Member

Re: So, the world didn't end

said by NOCMan:

Any business who's doing bad now was doing bad when it was good. Happens every recession, it filters out the crappy companies.
That's not true. Our broadcast division did well for many many years, through the last recession as well.

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

RadioDoc to apollo80

to apollo80
It was Bush's NTIA that screwed the coupon program pooch, so maybe you can knock off the childish partisan sniping and concentrate on facts:

There are about six million unfilled coupon requests pending. That is why the deadline was extended.

DaveDude
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey

DaveDude

Member

Re: So, the world didn't end

said by RadioDoc:

It was Bush's NTIA that screwed the coupon program pooch, so maybe you can knock off the childish partisan sniping and concentrate on facts:

There are about six million unfilled coupon requests pending. That is why the deadline was extended.
yeah whatever. Obama should have known this was going to happen.

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

RadioDoc

Re: So, the world didn't end

You too.

What a laughable comment.

openupshop
join:2000-11-25
Chandler, AZ

openupshop to DaveDude

Member

to DaveDude
Wow you must be in Bedminster, New Jersey to be talking down on Pres Obama!

Fox McCloud
Crazy like a fox.
join:2006-07-23

Fox McCloud to RadioDoc

Member

to RadioDoc
said by RadioDoc:

It was Bush's NTIA that screwed the coupon program pooch, so maybe you can knock off the childish partisan sniping and concentrate on facts:

There are about six million unfilled coupon requests pending. That is why the deadline was extended.
Congress was there too.....

An excellent compromise (at least IMHO) would have been to stick with the original transition deadline, but increased funding for the coupons and rehonoring all the older coupons...

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

RadioDoc

Re: So, the world didn't end

said by Fox McCloud:

Congress was there too.....

An excellent compromise (at least IMHO) would have been to stick with the original transition deadline, but increased funding for the coupons and rehonoring all the older coupons...
Yes they were...and back at least three years too. Which is why the insipid Obama comments are particularly vapid.

The whole program was mishandled from the start. Nobody wanted to be in charge and therefore no agency wanted to take responsibility. The NTIA got it by default and then managed to make things even worse.

I agree about your compromise, except that the funding extension got lost in the months leading up to the election and all the riveting economic follies. There is plenty of blame to go around on both sides of the aisle, but none for an administration who inherited the mess.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

Premium Member

Re: So, the world didn't end

said by RadioDoc:

Which is why the insipid Obama comments are particularly vapid.
You forget that it was Obama himself who pushed for the last extension. He deserves all criticism for this.

As we've seen, nothing bad happened with this DTV transition, so clearly, the last extension was not needed.

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

RadioDoc

Re: So, the world didn't end

This was started by Consumer Reports and picked up by the usual suspect Congresscritters. Obama just went along with it.

Just once I'd like to see the political bullshit here contained in one or the other "colored" rooms instead of being allowed to sour just about every discussion on the front page.

As for whether the delay was needed or not, you have no basis for that determination.

RRMAN
Premium Member
join:2007-04-02
Cleveland, OH

RRMAN

Premium Member

Re: So, the world didn't end

Amen. But it won't everyone that posts here thinks they could run the county better when they can barely run their own toilets.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102 to RadioDoc

Premium Member

to RadioDoc
said by RadioDoc:

This was started by Consumer Reports and picked up by the usual suspect Congresscritters. Obama just went along with it.
Even if that was true, which it isn't, as it was indeed Obama who called for the extension, that would be an even worse reflection on Obama.
said by RadioDoc:

Just once I'd like to see the political bullshit here contained in one or the other "colored" rooms instead of being allowed to sour just about every discussion on the front page.
Only because now it is your guy on the receiving end of the criticism, of course. I might remind you that it was you who decided to "blame Bush" for this problem.
said by RadioDoc:

As for whether the delay was needed or not, you have no basis for that determination.
Out of millions of people affected, only 28k calls? That's a pretty damn good metric of how well it went.

fifty nine
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ

fifty nine to RadioDoc

Member

to RadioDoc
How could they not see this coming? The coupon program was supposed to be limited anyway, and people knew this.

These coupons were supposed to help the neediest of people afford an already inexpensive converter box, not give ebay sellers an opportunity for profit.

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

1 recommendation

RadioDoc

Re: So, the world didn't end

See what coming? That they never fully funded the original number of coupons? Yeah they should definitely seen that coming...they hurled it at themselves when this program was announced long before Obama even announced his candidacy.

Obama will have the opportunity to make his own messes. Trying to blame this on him is rather stupid.
Expand your moderator at work

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

tschmidt to RadioDoc

MVM

to RadioDoc

Re: So, the world didn't end

said by RadioDoc:

That they never fully funded the original number of coupons?
I think there are three weaknesses in the transition program.

1) They funded 35 million coupons split between ones anyone can get and ones to qualify you had to state OTA was your only means of getting TV.

I don't have a quarrel with size of the original Coupon Program. What should have happened is funding limit increased as soon as they found out more coupons then expected had been requested. When all is said an done it is likely no more then 35 million coupons will be redeemed. Lots of people who did not need them requested and got coupons.

2) The transition should not have originally been scheduled in winter. February is not a good time to be up on your roof in snow country. Having said that I was against changing the date to June 12 so close to the Feb 17th.

3) The Longley–Rice modeling probabilities used to set coverage area were not realistic and is the crux of the problem people are having not being able to receive DTV programs. More realistic probabilities would have forced stations to use higher antenna or more powerful transmitter.

/tom


knightmb
Everybody Lies
join:2003-12-01
Franklin, TN

knightmb

Member

Re: So, the world didn't end

said by tschmidt:
said by RadioDoc:

That they never fully funded the original number of coupons?
I think there are three weaknesses in the transition program.

1) They funded 35 million coupons split between ones anyone can get and ones to qualify you had to state OTA was your only means of getting TV.

I don't have a quarrel with size of the original Coupon Program. What should have happened is funding limit increased as soon as they found out more coupons then expected had been requested. When all is said an done it is likely no more then 35 million coupons will be redeemed. Lots of people who did not need them requested and got coupons.

2) The transition should not have originally been scheduled in winter. February is not a good time to be up on your roof in snow country. Having said that I was against changing the date to June 12 so close to the Feb 17th.

3) The Longley–Rice modeling probabilities used to set coverage area were not realistic and is the crux of the problem people are having not being able to receive DTV programs. More realistic probabilities would have forced stations to use higher antenna or more powerful transmitter.

/tom
I'm glad I'm not the only one that likes to look at the logical side of this instead of the "only (insert whoever you don't like) is too stupid to be ready to switch" excuse I often see. Granted, some people are lazy, there is no denying, but now that some of the stations have switched, the complaints are rolling in about the problems of not being able to receive anything when one could get many stations, even if a little snowy, before. I've seen it first hand, I'm lucky though that I live near a major city, so reception isn't really an issue, but a 15 minute drive down the road and reception is gone. DTV is NOT very friendly to anything other than "flat" terrain I'm discovering. There is no need for any "I told you so" either, because this hurts everyone. I'm glad that some areas get perfect reception and sadden that others didn't have a well planned out execution of the DTV plan. That probably explains why a lot of the major networks here are hanging on to Analog a little longer, guess they didn't want to be the guinea pigs for this one.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

Re: So, the world didn't end

said by knightmb:

said by tschmidt:
said by RadioDoc:

That they never fully funded the original number of coupons?
I think there are three weaknesses in the transition program.

1) They funded 35 million coupons split between ones anyone can get and ones to qualify you had to state OTA was your only means of getting TV.

I don't have a quarrel with size of the original Coupon Program. What should have happened is funding limit increased as soon as they found out more coupons then expected had been requested. When all is said an done it is likely no more then 35 million coupons will be redeemed. Lots of people who did not need them requested and got coupons.

2) The transition should not have originally been scheduled in winter. February is not a good time to be up on your roof in snow country. Having said that I was against changing the date to June 12 so close to the Feb 17th.

3) The Longley–Rice modeling probabilities used to set coverage area were not realistic and is the crux of the problem people are having not being able to receive DTV programs. More realistic probabilities would have forced stations to use higher antenna or more powerful transmitter.

/tom
I'm glad I'm not the only one that likes to look at the logical side of this instead of the "only (insert whoever you don't like) is too stupid to be ready to switch" excuse I often see. Granted, some people are lazy, there is no denying, but now that some of the stations have switched, the complaints are rolling in about the problems of not being able to receive anything when one could get many stations, even if a little snowy, before. I've seen it first hand, I'm lucky though that I live near a major city, so reception isn't really an issue, but a 15 minute drive down the road and reception is gone. DTV is NOT very friendly to anything other than "flat" terrain I'm discovering. There is no need for any "I told you so" either, because this hurts everyone. I'm glad that some areas get perfect reception and sadden that others didn't have a well planned out execution of the DTV plan. That probably explains why a lot of the major networks here are hanging on to Analog a little longer, guess they didn't want to be the guinea pigs for this one.
The FCC is going to give stations permission to use more power if needed. First the whole transition has to get going and we need to see were we are at.

fifty nine
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ

fifty nine to knightmb

Member

to knightmb
The whole "I can't get all the channels that I did before" is partially a chicken and egg situation.

"I can't get all of the channels I did before! Don't switch!"

"You won't know if you get all of the channels until you switch!"

So it's essentially a deadlock and no one will know for sure until everyone is on their final assignments.

And the only way to do that is to get on with the transition.

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

tschmidt

MVM

Re: So, the world didn't end

said by fifty nine:

So it's essentially a deadlock and no one will know for sure until everyone is on their final assignments.

And the only way to do that is to get on with the transition.
Agree - Once everything simmers down after conversion stations will reevaluate coverage area and decide if it makes sense to make changes to equipment or install translators. Personally I hope they do because even with high quality outdoor antenna and preamp there are several DTV stations that are marginal for us. In fairness they were also stations that were snowy in analog.

By that time FCC will have real world experience with DTV interference problems. That will give them information they need to set maximum ERP transmit power levels.

/tom

RARPSL
join:1999-12-08
Suffern, NY

RARPSL to tschmidt

Member

to tschmidt
Even if they ramped up the Coupons or allowed them to be used after they expired, it would not have done any good since there are no more converters in existence. The makers stopped making them and removed them from the distribution pipeline. When the extension bill surfaced, the makers said that it would not be until late March or Early April before they would have any more available for sale.

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

1 edit

tschmidt

MVM

Re: So, the world didn't end

said by RARPSL:

The makers stopped making them and removed them from the distribution pipeline.
Not sure about your locale but here in Southern NH there are pallets of converter boxes at BestBuy and Circuit City, even our local grocery store has them.

/tom
WeKnSmith
join:2001-08-09
Noblesville, IN

WeKnSmith

Member

Re: So, the world didn't end

said by tschmidt:

said by RARPSL:

The makers stopped making them and removed them from the distribution pipeline.
Not sure about your local but here in Southern NH there are pallets of converter boxes at BestBuy and Circuit City, even our local grocery store has them.

/tom
Same situation here. The three DMAs that I have visited in the very recent past/last few days have had the same types of pallets of converters in the BB stores.

AboveAverageJoe
@jillyred.net

AboveAverageJoe to tschmidt

Anon

to tschmidt
said by tschmidt:

said by RARPSL:

The makers stopped making them and removed them from the distribution pipeline.
Not sure about your locale but here in Southern NH there are pallets of converter boxes at BestBuy and Circuit City, even our local grocery store has them.

/tom
What you're seeing is what is left in the pipeline by distributors and retailers.

The actual manufacturing of boxes had halted in Asia in January because they had based their projections of supply needed on the original demand forecasts for 2/17.

Concern began to grow that demand rates were exceeding existing supply and especially concerning was what could happen if those who had been wait listed for coupons since December were suddenly issued them through additional funding.

Michael Petricone, Sr. VP, for the Consumer Electronics Association, brought forward the issue at the 2/5 hearings and stated, "there were between 3 million and 6 million boxes currently in the pipeline. Assuming the worst case, he said, of only 3 million boxes in inventory, if daily coupon redemptions continue at about 115,000 per day, "retailers would run out of boxes by the end of February."

"An unknown that makes any projections difficult is that, given the NTIA coupon wait list of 3.7 million requests, if NTIA were to suddenly issue all the coupons and 65% or so were redeemed, boxes would run out even earlier."

The manufactures have now restarted assembly based on new demand numbers, but the new boxes are not expected to be available until April.

Petricone was recommending to the FCC that they consider slowing the demand to accommodate this gap by extending the deadline and if re-funded, slowing the coupon distribution.

CEA believes that the extension of the transition date to June 12 could reduce daily coupon redemption rates in the coming weeks" and CEA was also recommending (among other things), "Restricting the availability of vouchers to exclusively OTA households."

Presentation here:
»www.fcc.gov/realaudio/pr ··· ment.pdf

My favorite quote was by FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell that the government had accommodated a possible shortfall in converters, saying that while there may not be an boxes on the shelves, that's OK, because there wasn't going to be enough coupons either.
AboveAverageJoe

AboveAverageJoe

Anon

Re: So, the world didn't end

Woops, Correction to above:

"My favorite quote was by FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell that the government had accommodated a possible shortfall in converters, saying that while there may not be enough boxes on the shelves, that's OK, because there wasn't going to be enough coupons either."
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned) to RARPSL

Member

to RARPSL
said by RARPSL:

Even if they ramped up the Coupons or allowed them to be used after they expired, it would not have done any good since there are no more converters in existence. The makers stopped making them and removed them from the distribution pipeline. When the extension bill surfaced, the makers said that it would not be until late March or Early April before they would have any more available for sale.
that's bullshit very wal-mart around me has DOZENS of them sitting on shelves. My local wal-mart has at least 50 on the shelves right now. Hell the whole county has maybe 6600 households. Adn I know that every week for the past year our local wal-mart has been getting a new shipment of 20 or more. So that's more than enough for everyone in my area that needs one.
JPL
Premium Member
join:2007-04-04
Downingtown, PA

JPL to RARPSL

Premium Member

to RARPSL
said by RARPSL:

Even if they ramped up the Coupons or allowed them to be used after they expired, it would not have done any good since there are no more converters in existence. The makers stopped making them and removed them from the distribution pipeline. When the extension bill surfaced, the makers said that it would not be until late March or Early April before they would have any more available for sale.
No more converters? Where are you located? I can't walk into an electronics store, department store, heck even my local supermarkets and drugstores without tripping on these things. A local Rite Aid (pharmacy) must have had 2 - 3 dozen boxes sitting right by the checkout line. There may be some very localized shortages, but there are still plenty of boxes out there.

POB
Res Firma Mitescere Nescit
Premium Member
join:2003-02-13
Stepford, CA

1 edit

1 recommendation

POB to RadioDoc

Premium Member

to RadioDoc
said by RadioDoc:

There are about six million unfilled coupon requests pending. That is why the deadline was extended.
Notwithstanding partisan grandstanding, the entire program was a waste of my money. Explain to me why I am financing via tax dollars someon else's access to television? Since when did it become a right in this country to watch the b00b tube?? If you can't afford a converter box then too bad so sad. Read a friggin book. It's not my problem.

•••••••
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned) to RadioDoc

Member

to RadioDoc
said by RadioDoc:

It was Bush's NTIA that screwed the coupon program pooch, so maybe you can knock off the childish partisan sniping and concentrate on facts:

There are about six million unfilled coupon requests pending. That is why the deadline was extended.
You could have allocated more funds for the coupons with extending the deadline. Besides since some stations are of already what was the point. If someone lives in Nashvile say half the statin havethier analog shut off. So if they are waiting for a box they are losing half their channels anyways until their coupons rach then which may take weeks. I susoect most people will just go out and buy a box as to not lose half the stations.
88615298

88615298 (banned) to RadioDoc

Member

to RadioDoc
said by RadioDoc:

There are about six million unfilled coupon requests pending. That is why the deadline was extended.
Actually it' 2.4 milion not 6 million, but why use facts.

•••

Homunculus
Pipsquack
Premium Member
join:2000-12-14
Uranus

Homunculus to RadioDoc

Premium Member

to RadioDoc
said by RadioDoc:

It was Bush's NTIA that screwed the coupon program pooch, so maybe you can knock off the childish partisan sniping and concentrate on facts:

There are about six million unfilled coupon requests pending. That is why the deadline was extended.
Oh, the irony.

RadioDoc

join:2000-05-11
La Grange, IL

RadioDoc

Re: So, the world didn't end

Pointing out the facts is hardly sniping. Yours, on the other hand, leaked straight from the Red Room.

CCNnorthcali
join:2004-03-07
San Francisco, CA

CCNnorthcali to apollo80

Member

to apollo80
Stations don't have to keep broadcasting the analog signal if they don't want to...

••••••

swerve5
join:2000-10-20
La Habra, CA

swerve5 to apollo80

Member

to apollo80
It's not just about the coupons... there are always bugs to be worked out anytime a new system goes live.

I think the changeover should have been rolled out region by region (or market by market) instead of done all at once. That way any issues which crop up can be learned from and solutions applied going forward rather than trying to "put out fires" in the whole country at the same time. I mean really... the WHOLE country at one time?

This recent delay of the deadline did- after a fashion- give the FCC the ability to convert this change over to an ad-hoc on-the-fly roll out.
michigandave
join:2007-05-16
Fenton, MI

michigandave

Member

Re: So, the world didn't end

Oh. So Wilmington, NC cutting off in September 2008 for the very reason your suggest doesn't count? Does all of Hawaii cutting off on January 15 not contribute to the rest of the country for the DTV transition? Or the handful of stations nationwide cutting off analog early?

Maybe it's not as widespread as you suggest but not every single station is switching off at the same time. The Wilmington, NC was the national test market for analog cutoff.

A moderate percentage of stations cutoff on Feb 17 so I'm sure the lessons from Feb 17 will carry forward to June 12.

swerve5
join:2000-10-20
La Habra, CA

swerve5

Member

Re: So, the world didn't end

michigandave, the FCC said in a press release yesterday that there are 1800 full power commertial stations in the US. Do you really think whatever issues encountered in Wilmington and HI are the only issues to be encountered in the other 1,798?

Anyway- you misread what I said.

I'm glad you aren't in charge.

Mactron
el Camino Real
Premium Member
join:2001-12-16
PRK

Mactron to apollo80

Premium Member

to apollo80
It didn't here. All HP analog TV stations are lights out here ! Save one in the FCC's mandated "night lite" mode. I don't think all the DTV transition info the "night lite" station is now showing will wakeup the, someone Government will take care of me folks. No cry of injustice in the local papers, nightly news or local Blogs. All is well with the ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED Jan. 17th , 2009 Analog HP TV shutdown here.
sjr
join:2006-08-27
Osseo, MN

sjr

Member

Seems obvious

Why would they have expected any calls?

If one doesn't know about the transition I would be thinking that person would not know the FCC hot line number either. Plus if someone was going to call in about service being out would they not call the local station before the FCC anyhow?

hurfy
Premium Member
join:2002-08-06
Spokane, WA

hurfy

Premium Member

Re: Seems obvious

Bingo!

That would not include the 1100 calls the local stations here (Spokane) said they fielded. Apparently they all sent help to the PBS station and announced to call a number there for help. They did however say it was not as many as expected or something similar. Also said most calls were not about total non reception, usually they had not run the setup right or needed to re-aim** an antenna.

The spots i saw included both local and FCC number.

**Presumably these people have been watching fuzzy TV for years, all but 1 station has always been the same place as current.

no_one
@maricopa.edu

no_one to sjr

Anon

to sjr
said by sjr:

Why would they have expected any calls?

If one doesn't know about the transition I would be thinking that person would not know the FCC hot line number either. Plus if someone was going to call in about service being out would they not call the local station before the FCC anyhow?
Some have been running both analog and digital and have tested out the bugs.
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88

Member

prison

What about prisons with OTA TVs? who makes plexiglass DTV boxes? anyone thought about America's incarcerated?

•••••••

Smile__
Premium Member
join:2008-10-10
New Freedom, PA

Smile__

Premium Member

28,000 calls

Why would 28,000 morons need to call? Hello Mr/Mrs call center rep how do I turn my TV on now? Duhhhhh!!!

••••••
mr weather
Premium Member
join:2002-02-27
Mississauga, ON

mr weather

Premium Member

Been ready for a while

I've been watching dtv for almost 18 months now. If all the crawlers, PSA's, commercials, etc. didn't inform these people of the switchover nothing would have.

I'm roughly 60 miles line-of-sight from the Buffalo, NY transmitter towers. I receive them just fine. In fact, WUTV-DT has adjusted their signal pattern more directional away from me yet I still receive them fine.

Smith6612
MVM
join:2008-02-01
North Tonawanda, NY

Smith6612

MVM

Re: Been ready for a while

I'm in the Buffalo area, and though I haven't checked to see how many analog stations are left, my PC which has a TV tuner from ATi that does Digital OTA, it picks up many channels.
mr weather
Premium Member
join:2002-02-27
Mississauga, ON

mr weather

Premium Member

Re: Been ready for a while

The only station that abandoned analog on February 18 was WUTV. However, they've maintained a presence on channel 29 because of the FCC's "nite lite" clause.

All the other stations in the Buffalo area are still broadcasting on their analog channels.
rdmiller
join:2005-09-23
Richmond, VA

rdmiller

Member

One day early

The AP story quotes data from the day before the shutdown. If the shutdown occurred at midnight on Tuesday, you need call center results from Wednesday.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

Re: One day early

said by rdmiller:

The AP story quotes data from the day before the shutdown. If the shutdown occurred at midnight on Tuesday, you need call center results from Wednesday.
Actually stations could shut down as of 12 AM TUESDAY morning. Now some waited until later tuesday to do it but mnay shut down at exactly 12 AM.
88615298

88615298 (banned) to rdmiller

Member

to rdmiller
Ok here you go

"The FCC today said there were 27,764 calls to its call centers Tuesday, when relatively few stations switched during the day. On Wednesday, when most viewers would have started wrestling with their TVs, the agency reported 25,320 calls."

So LESS calls on the first full day. what as the point you were trying to make?

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

1 recommendation

tschmidt

MVM

NH perspective

WENH, the New Hampshire PBS station, shutdown analog Tuesday and moved DTV from temporary UHF to permanent VHF channel.

I volunteered to man the help desk. Back in January WENH and WMUR did a joint DTV readiness event. At that time took 1300 calls. Tuesday we only took about 50. This was not a combined event WMUR will not be shutting down analog until June 12.

At least in NH situation does not appear as dire as doomsayers predicted. There are bound to be problems from any change of this magnitude but I think people are better prepared then pundits think.

Bulk of the calls I took were frustration over delays in getting coupons, non-availability of DC powered converter boxes and technical problems getting all the pieces to play together. This did not come as a surprise to anyone I spoke to.

All in all I found Tuesday's experience reassuring.

/tom

RobAtl
@covad.net

RobAtl

Anon

Digital Shmigital

Stop this digital nonsense! My coupons expired, so what do I do now? All I get is snow on channel 8.

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

tschmidt

MVM

Re: Digital Shmigital

It is likely Coupon Program will be modified to allow folks with expired coupons to reapply. Keep in mind coupon is worth $40. Nothing is stopping folks from buying a converter on their own or purchasing a converter with features that make it ineligible to participate in the coupon program.

/tom

rcdailey
Dragoonfly
Premium Member
join:2005-03-29
Rialto, CA

rcdailey to RobAtl

Premium Member

to RobAtl
They're back.
htech007
join:2006-10-18
Eagle, NE

htech007

Member

It's just TV people.

I find it so ironic that there are 800 numbers, FCC people on site, tons of help for something that is so uncritical. It's just freaking TV. I wish the government did more to explain the freaking tax code!!

BucknRusty
join:2006-08-18
Liberty Hill, TX

BucknRusty

Member

DTV

Why on earth do we (taxpayers) have to pay for these converter boxes anyway? They are $40. If you can't scrap up $40 with more than 12 months notice, you can't afford the electricity to power a TV.

•••••••
JPWhite0
join:2004-09-12
Hendersonville, TN

JPWhite0

Member

Transition was a breeze eh?

Federal call center created to handle user problems (1-888-CALL-FCC) easily handled call volumes and got fewer calls (28,000) than expected (100,000).
The article makes it sound like the FCC handled this in their stride. Lets project what would have happened if ALL 1800 stations had switched on the same day.

24% of the stations actually switched and used up 28% of the FCC call center capacity. Extrapolating the figures for Feb 17th, had all 1800 stations switched about 120,000 calls would have been made.

In fact on June 12 if the remaining 75% switch all at once (unlikely) then 90,000 calls will be made to the FCC. It will only just cope.

Sounds like their projections for the number of calls was pretty close to reality.

Since stations can start switching again after March 16th I expect there will be a slow trickle up to the climax on June 12th.

Who is paying for the call center staff to stay on an extra 4 months? Err..... That would be me and you, Mr and Mrs tax payer. Good boondoggle work for a boondoggle stimulus plan.

rob_in_chatt
Premium Member
join:2004-09-17
Chattanooga, TN

rob_in_chatt

Premium Member

coupons

all the government needed to do was place the fucking coupon on a website and when you print it, take it to the retailer of your choice. here is the catch, your ID number and SSN and address would be recorded so there would be no whoring of the boxes and reselling. 2 per address with a coupon.

how hard could that have been? no wonder government intelligence is a huge oxymoron.

just my .02 cents.