Friday, July 31st, NTIA will stop accepting coupon applications and appeals. While the transition to digital was completed on June 12, there are a number of households that remain unready – they are not receiving pictures or sound. The TV Converter Box Coupon Program is still accepting coupon applications and appeals, but only until midnight on July 31, 2009, so households must act immediately. NTIA continues its outreach to those who still need help to keep their older analog televisions working, and we are hoping you can make sure your networks are aware of this impending deadline by forwarding the information below, talking to consumers about it or posting it in public places. Friday July 31st is the Last Day to Apply or Appeal for TV Converter Box Coupons!

If you are still not DTV-ready, it’s not too late. Help is still available, but you must take action immediately. Eligible households may continue to apply or re-apply for TV converter box coupons. Applications for coupons are accepted online at https://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx, by phone at 1-888-388-2009 (1-888-DTV-2009), by mail and by fax. Mailed applications must be post-marked no later than midnight on July 31, 2009. It typically takes nine business days to process and mail coupons. If you have applied for coupons, but not yet received them, check the status of your request on www.DTV2009.gov by selecting “Check Your Application Status.”

Appeals for Denied Coupon Applications. The last day to file an appeal is midnight on July 31, 2009. If you apply for coupons through the Web site, and the application is denied, there is a link within the denial message to appeal. Filing an appeal at https://www.dtv2009.gov/Appeal.aspx via the website is the quickest way for the Coupon Program to process and respond to appeals. If you wish to provide additional detail beyond the space provided, you may submit your appeal in writing or by e-mail. For instance, if you encountered transportation difficulties due to disability, didn’t notice receipt of the coupon due to disability, and it expired, or you just now learned about the transition and your options,, etc.

Coupons Can Be Used Until They Expire. Even though the last day to apply for coupons is July 31, 2009, you can use your coupons at participating retailers until they expire. Call ahead to area retail stores to confirm availability of coupon-eligible converter boxes on the day you plan to shop. Coupon-eligible converter boxes also may be purchased online or by telephone and shipped directly to your home.

Released: May 1, 2009 - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced the establishment of a new Technical Working group that will focus on assessing and solving technical problems related to the switch to digital television. Specifically, the working group is charged with meeting three goals:

• Identify current and anticipated problems with the transmission and display of digital closed captions and video description;
• Evaluate the closed captioning and video description capabilities of digital equipment;
• Develop solutions to ensure that closed captions and video description are passed through intact to consumers.

We learned recently of a consumer who was told by Direct TV that she must purchase a new digital TV in order to get captions.

This installer gave out bad information. It is simply not true that you need to buy a new TV to get captions.

When the DTV Transition happens, you have 3 choices – any of which will give you captions:

• Get a DTV converter box and use your old TV to get over the air signals
• Pay for satellite or cable TV services and use your old TV
• Buy a new digital TV and receive over the air TV or use it with satellite or cable services

BETHESDA, MD (April 6, 2009) — In January, CSD announced that it had been awarded a contract from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to implement an awareness campaign targeted at the nation’s deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind consumers in regards to the digital TV (DTV) transition. To that end, CSD launched both a Help Center (call center) and a new Web site to provide DTV information and to help consumers solve their problems procuring coupons, installing converter boxes, choosing the best antenna for their geographic locale, and even more. Read more

WASHINGTON – Today [2/11/2009], President Barack Obama signed S.352, a bill to postpone the DTV transition date to June 12th to allow for more time for the American consumers to prepare for the switch from analog television.

"During these challenging economic times, the needs of American consumers are a top priority of my administration. This law, which was crafted in a bipartisan way and passed overwhelmingly in the House and Senate, ensures that our citizens will have more time to prepare for the conversion. Millions of Americans, including those in our most vulnerable communities, would have been left in the dark if the conversion had gone on as planned, and this solution is an important step forward as we work to get the nation ready for digital TV. My administration will continue to work with leaders in Congress, broadcasters, consumer groups and the telecommunications industry to improve the information and assistance available to our citizens in advance of June 12."

HLAA Partners with CSD on their Nationwide DTV Call Center and Web Site
February 13, 2009

BETHESDA, MD — Hearing Loss Association of American (HLAA) is pleased to join Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) in their efforts to keep people with hearing loss in the loop during the upcoming transition from analog to digital television programming.

In January, CSD announced that it had been awarded a $1.1 million contract from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to implement an awareness campaign targeted at the nation’s deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind consumers in regards to the digital TV (DTV) transition. On February 9, CSD announced the launch of both a Help Center (call center) and a new Web site — with “how to” videos in American Sign Language (ASL), captioning and voice for hard of hearing people, and Spanish (captioned and voiced) — to provide that much-needed support today. On February 11, 2009 President Obama signed into law a bill that will postpone the digital TV transition to June 12, 2009.

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