A coalition of civil rights groups has called the nation's scheduled move from analog to digital full power television a "transition in trouble" and is urging the government to provide more guidance and money to address the challenge. "There is an absence of clear Federal leadership and a comprehensive transition plan to address the needs of those most vulnerable to the transition," Mark Lloyd of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) told reporters today. "And there seems to be no rapid response capability to deal with what we are certain will be problems on or after February 17th, 2009."

That's the Last Day of Analog Broadcasting for full-power TV. LCCR cites media and government surveys suggesting that the transition will face "very serious problems," in Lloyd's words, unless more action is taken. These include a May 2008 Nielsen report from which the group has concluded that "23 million households will wake up [on February 18th] either completely or partially unready to receive digital broadcast television service," and a June 10th Government and Accountability Office (GAO) survey suggesting that about half of them "are still unprepared for the switch." Prominent among these households are non-English speakers, the elderly, people with disabilities (particularly people with hearing problems), and rural households.

Central to LCCR's critique of transition efforts so far is a lack of any "comprehensive approach" to the challenge similar to the government's approach to the Y2K problem in 2000. The coalition is particularly concerned about the absence of a "rapid response capability" to deal with households that may wake up on February 18th to find their analog TV sets dead. "Many Americans owe their lives to emergency weather or public safety warnings broadcast to their television sets," the coalition warns.

Almost 200 civil rights organizations belong to LCCR, including the NAACP and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund. LCCR is not the first group to suggest that the Federal government's response so far has been less than adequate. The National Telecommunications Information Administration's (NTIA) strategy has been to offer the public two $40 dollar discount coupons per household—good for set-top boxes that will convert analog sets into digital-ready receivers. But LCCR's report—"Transition in Trouble"—also offers an array of recommendations that address key areas where the transition could go bad after February 17th. Here are three:

Organize rapid response teams to help people after February 17th

These teams should be ready to move starting on January 1, 2009, LCCR says, with the Federal Communications Commission and NTIA providing consumer assistance lines, "fully staffed" with people able to help non-English speakers and TV watchers with disabilities. "Community-based organizations should be empowered and funded to mobilize teams that will assist their members who are unsuccessful in making the transition." LCCR recommends: "The NTIA and FCC should be prepared to conduct significant and rapid outreach to media outlets that may reach those who have lost television service, such as community and ethnic newspapers and radio."

Make the converter boxes more accessible and affordable

LCCR suggests that the NTIA eliminate the expiration dates for the converter box coupons "or at the very least extend the expiration date to March 2009." Tens of thousands of already ordered coupons have expired, forcing consumers who have been confused about the process to re-order them. People with hearing disabilities have had a particularly difficult time identifying which converter boxes are most user friendly. In addition, LCCR notes that households are eligible for two $40 coupons only, a restriction that may limit the benefits of the program to smaller families. And: "The envelopes used to mail converter box coupons are not sufficiently distinguishable from junk mail by people with visual disabilities," the group's report observes. The NTIA needs to make its mailings clearer.

Put more money and presence into the project

So far Congress has allocated $5 million for the DTV transition educational project. LCCR calls that sum "not nearly enough," and notes that the government just collected $19.5 billion in the recent 700MHz auction. "A small portion of that money should be devoted to public education about the transition," the coalition suggests. President Bush should produce a public service announcement on the transition, LCCR says, and every government agency should display a DTV transition link on its Web site.

In a related matter, in mid-June the Senate passed Daniel Inouye's (D-HI) DTV Transition Assistance Act, which LCCR spokesperson Nancy Zirkin says will provide "a small bit of funding" to the effort. The bill provides some flexibility in DTV spending, allowing the NTIA to transfer money intended to help lower power TV (LPTV) stations to complete the transition to consumer education, if the LPTV license doesn't need the funding. The money can be used to finance non-profits and public interest groups helping consumers with the transition.

Further reading:

"Transition in Trouble," Leadership Conference on Civil Rights