- Digital TV Transition Could Lead to New Divide
In just over one year, Canada is scheduled to complete the digital television transition, as stations switch from analog to digital broadcasts. While cable and satellite subscribers will not notice the change, over one million Canadians that rely on over-the-air signals will be affected.
- CTV Says Profits From Spectrum Auctions Should Help Finance Digital Transition
A portion of the revenues from the upcoming 700 and 2500 MHz spectrum auctions should go to assisting broadcasters in the digital transition, CTVglobemedia says.
- Minister Moore Says Broadcasters, Not Government, Must Lead Digital Transition
Don’t expect the government to take the lead or to extend the digital transition deadline beyond August 31, 2011. That appears to be the message behind a short statement issued by Heritage Minister James Moore
- CRTC Gives Distributors Option to Offer Local Basic Packages
To ensure Canadians have access to digital channels after the digital broadcasting transition deadline of Aug. 31, 2011, the CRTC is granting television distributors the option to offer free, local packages to viewers.
- CRTC Boss Says Crisis Looms in Digital TV Transition
The Canadian TV industry faces a crisis as long-overdue preparations for the switch to digital TV have not yet begun to ramp up as needed.
- EastLink Takes Sydney Fully Digital
Sydney is about to become EastLink’s first community within Nova Scotia to go 100% digital.
- Broadcasters Struggling to Find Enough Equipment, Engineers, to Meet Digital Transition
There may not be enough equipment and manpower available to meet the Aug. 31, 2011 deadline for the transition from analog to digital over-the-air television, Canwest Television said in a submission to the CRTC.
- Digital TV Transition Plan B: Do Nothing
As the transition to digital over-the-air TV deadline grows closer and the industry is awakening to the need to act, the question has been asked in some quarters: Why bother?
- Industry Minister Says No Delays in Digital TV Transition
Industry Minister Tony Clement says he doesn't want delays in the transition from analog to digital TV, despite loud warnings from networks and consumer advocates that Canada is far from ready for it.
- Lamarre Says August 31, 2011 Digital Deadline Impossible
CRTC commissioner Suzanne Lamarre said that we’re not going to make the August 31, 2011 digital transition date, despite close to six years of notice the industry was given by the CRTC.
- Revised Licensing Framework for OTA Digital TV Services
The Commission proposed to authorize the simulcast of a service’s programming on a digital transmitter by way of an amendment to the existing service’s licence.
- Media Guild Launches Campaign to Save Free TV
The Canadian Media Guild and Openmedia.ca have launched a campaign to save free local TV signals for Canadians living in small towns after the industry's transition to digital.
- Some US Homes Using Bootleg Analog Options Instead of DTV
Nearly 1.5 million U.S. TV viewers failed to make the digital transition - either because they could not, cared not to, or found some bootleg form of receiving conventional analog broadcast signals.
- CBC Can't Afford Shift to Digital
Over 300,000 Canadians in remote and rural areas could be cut off from CBC TV in two years because the broadcaster doesn’t have the money to convert its signals to digital.
- Only 710,000 US Homes Can't Receive Digital Signals
According to the latest numbers from Nielsen, 99.4% of U.S. homes are now able to receive a digital signal.
- FCC Working on DTV Reception Issues
The FCC continues to work through what it characterizes as a "limited number" of DTV-related reception issues.
- DTV Coupon Box Program Concludes
The U.S. government's DTV-to-analog converter box coupon program ended with a spike, according to figures from the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA).
- 99 Percent of US Homes Able to Receive DTV
With 98.9 percent of American homes able to receive digital television, the DTV transition is all but complete.
- Poll Says Losing Free TV Signals Unfair
An overwhelming majority - 84% - of residents in one of the Canadian cities that risks losing over-the-air television after 2011, says it is unfair that they will be deprived access to free TV signals.
- Viewership Rebounds After DTV Switch
Viewership to TV stations in the two weeks following the June 12 end of full-power analog dipped, according to Nielsen, but that was "largely temporary" and viewing levels have been returning in the ensuing weeks.
- Digital Transition in U.S. Nearly Complete
Recently released Nielsen figures suggest that all but a few U.S. homes will have full digital TV reception by the first week in August.
- After the DTV Switch
The switch from analog to digital TV in the U.S. took place on June 12, 2009. Here are some of the problems that have been encountered since the transition.
- DTV Switch Drives 5% of U.S. Homes to Pay Service
The digital TV transition has prompted 5% of U.S. television households to subscribe to a cable or satellite service in the past year, according to a recent survey conducted by research firm Knowledge Networks.
- Final Push for Digital Transition in U.S.
The FCC said that it is doing all it can to prepare the country for the DTV transition hard date June 12.
- One Month Until Digital Switch in U.S.
The FCC says it recorded a single-day record of 55,000 calls to its DTV transition call center help line on May 12 during the coordinated analog cut-off soft test.
- DTV Preparedness Rises in the U.S.
Around 3.4% of households (3.8 million) in the U.S. are unprepared for the DTV transition on June 12, 2009.
- DTV Readiness Improves in the U.S.
According to Nielsen, 3.6% (4.1 million) of the 114.5 million TV homes in the U.S. are currently not ready for the digital switch.
- Majority of U.S. Stations to Keep Analog Until June 12
The FCC reports that 927 TV stations in the U.S. will switch to digital on June 12, with 158 stations wanting to switch earlier than that.
- So Far, So Good in Early DTV Switch
The early switch to digital for 421 TV stations in the U.S. on February 17 took place without any major problems.
- U.S. Has New DTV Deadline
The new deadline for the transition to digital TV in the U.S. is now June 12.
- Hawaii Switches to Digital
The state of Hawaii switched off its analog TV signals on January 15, 2009 at noon.
- U.S. DTV Date May Change
The Consumers Union has asked the heads of the congressional committee with telecommunications oversight and the current and future administrations to consider delaying the February 17 DTV transition date.
- DTV Converter Box Coupons Running Out
The government program that subsidizes DTV converter boxes in the U.S. hit its $1.34 billion funding ceiling set by Congress on Sunday, January 4.
- Broadcasters Need to Get Moving on Digital
CRTC vice-chair Michel Arpin said that Canadian broadcasters need to get moving on digital conversion because they're falling behind other countries.
- Suggestions for Canada's Digital Conversion
Reitmeier says that competition needs to be put aside, and a viewer campaign needs to be co-ordinated locally.
- Boston TV Station to Shut Analog Off Early
WZMY-TV Boston (an affiliate of MyNetwork TV) will switch to digital at noon on December 1, 2008.
- Hawaii Will Switch to Digital Early
Hawaii will switch to digital on January 15, 2009, rather than the national date of February 17, 2009.
- Proposals for DTV Transition Efforts
FCC member Michael Copps came up with a list of steps the Commission should take in response to lessons learned from the analog shutdown in Wilmington, North Carolina.
- Wilmington Switches to Digital
On September 8, 2008 at noon, Wilmington, North Carolina pulled the plug on analog TV and became the first market in the U.S. to go all digital.
- Wilmington Gears Up for Digital Transition
With Wilmington, North Carolina's digital switchover date of September 8 quickly approaching, more is being done to get the word out on the analog TV shutdown.
- Planning for Canada's Digital Transition
The CAB asked that Industry Canada establish a government/industry working group to oversee the implementation of an effective and consumer focused transition to digital TV.
- Canada's Digital Transition
The analog TV shutdown date in Canada is August 31, 2011. Here is what our country is doing to prepare for it.
- Digital Conversion in the United States
With the June 12, 2009 digital conversion date approaching in the United States, there have been some measures taken to help consumers with the switch from analog.
- Digital TV in Western Europe
Research by Informa Telecoms & Media found that digital TV penetration in Western European households reached 54% by the end of 2007, up from 42% the previous year.
- Mobile DTV Test
Capitol Broadcasting's WRAL Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina partnered up with CBC New Media Group on the state's first test of mobile digital TV.
- Cable Companies Will Benefit from DTV Transition
The digital TV transition in the U.S. could provide a once-in-a-lifetime increase for cable operators. Industry observers say that cable companies are well positioned to sign up a portion of the estimated 14 million homes that still get their TV signals over-the-air (OTA).
- DTV Test in Orlando
On June 25, 2008, a group of 12 TV stations in Orlando, Florida ran a 60-second on-air message at 7:59pm that included 10 seconds in which the stations stopped transmitting their analog signals.
- Concern Over Canada's Digital TV Transition
CRTC chair Konrad von Finkenstein said he is " 'very concerned' " that the broadcast industry is dragging its heals in preparing for Canada's switch to digital TV on August 31, 2011.
- Digital TV Homes in the Asia Pacific Region
Informa Telecoms & Media's Asia Pacific TV report revealed that over one-third of TV homes in the Asia Pacific region will receive digital signals in 2013.
- One in Five U.S. Homes Unready for Digital
According to research from Nielsen Co., 22% of U.S. homes are still either completely or partially unready for the upcoming digital conversion.
- Analog Shutdown Testing in U.S.
Wilmington, North Carolina will be the first market in the United States to switch to all-digital broadcasting on September 8, 2008.
- Vegas TV Station Tests Analog Shutdown
KVBC Las Vegas conducted a test on what will happen at midnight on February 17, 2009 when TV stations across the U.S. stop broadcasting in analog.
- Nielsen Moves February Sweeps to March in U.S.
Nielsen Media Research issued a report to clients detailing its plans for dealing with the digital TV transition on February 17, 2009.
- Digital Switchover in the United Kingdom
Unlike in the U.S. and Canada, where the conversion to digital TV will take place on specific dates, in the United Kingdom, the switchover will happen region by region between 2008 and 2012.
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