Apr 29, 2009 6:35 pm US/Eastern
Cabinet Secretary Speaks About DTV Transition
RANDALLSTOWN, Md. (WJZ) ―
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About seven weeks from now, the permanent switch to digital television will happen. The government says about five million people aren't ready.
CBS
About seven weeks from now, the permanent switch to digital television will happen. The government says about five million people aren't ready.
As
Mike Schuh reports, with just 49 days before
WJZ and other television stations go to digital, a member of the president's cabinet came to Baltimore to show us how to be prepared.
Late last year, the FCC estimated that 100,000 people in Baltimore weren't ready. Now they say that number is much less, but people of color and the elderly still lag behind.
Those five million nationwide who are unprepared is such a concern to the government that U.S. Cabinet Secretary Gary Locke was dispatched to Randallstown to talk about it.
"Unless you have a TV set that can receive this new type of signal, your TV screens are going to be all white," he said.
To continue to watch, you need cable service, a new television or a converter box. The U.S. government is continuing to offer up to two $40 coupon cards to buy the converter boxes.
So basically if you don't have cable or satellite service and you're using rabbit ears or an outside antenna, you're going to have to get one of these converters and the government is going to give you $40 to help pay for it.
Manfred Walsmann already used his coupon.
"Well, I had problems at first," he said.
He cleared those up and is now helping other seniors.
Locke says every little bit helps.
"I think there are still too many people, including seniors and those with limited language skills. They don't know what this conversion is about," he said. "They don't know analog and they don't know what they need to do to continue to receive a television signal."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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