NAB: 1,000-Plus Broadcasters To Take Part In DTV Ed Campaign

By TWICE Staff -- TWICE, 10/30/2007

Washington — More than 1,000 broadcasters are said to be participating in a consumer education campaign called DTV Answers, designed to ensure that no viewer loses access to free broadcast programming in the Feb. 17, 2009, DTV Transition.

According to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), 18 broadcast companies representing 139 television stations recently joined the multiplatform campaign, which includes a variety of on-air, online and grassroots initiatives, as well as earned media and advertising components. The release also noted that “many other stations are expected to participate in the campaign.”

The NAB said the campaign marks the second phase of the industry's DTV education initiatives, which began in late 2006. The group noted that earlier this month, broadcasters announced their latest consumer education efforts, committing more than $697 million to helping viewers prepare for the Feb. 17, 2009, transition to digital television. The NAB said that broadcasters’ campaign participation has “increased dramatically” since it first announced the campaign.

“We are very pleased to announce our steadily increasing partnerships with local and national broadcasters, all pledging their time and services to help educate consumers about the DTV transition,” said David Rehr, president and CEO of the NAB. “The full participation of broadcasters is vital in making this transition as easy as possible for consumers.”

The campaign is expected to include:

“DTV Action” television spots;
crawls, snipes and/or news tickers during programming;
30-minute educational programs about DTV;
a 100-day countdown to the DTV deadline;
public relations elements, including earned media coverage in newspapers and online;
a DTV road show that will visit 600 locations nationwide;
a DTV speakers bureau that will reach one million consumers; and
online banner ads on TV station Web sites.

The organization also said in a release that the combined elements of the campaign are expected to reach “nearly all television viewers and generate 98 billion audience impressions during the course of the campaign, which will run through Feb. 17, 2009.”

For a complete list of participating stations, visit www.dtvanswers.com/Supporters.pdf.