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News and Publications

November 21, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON—The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded today $1.65 million to the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF) to help vulnerable populations transition to digital television with the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. Coupons should be requested by the end of the year for consumers to be prepared when full-power TV broadcasters switch from analog to 100 percent digital broadcasts after February 17, 2009—88 days from today.

November 18, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON—The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today an award of $2.7 million to the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) to help seniors transition to digital television through the TV Converter Box Coupon Program.  Full-power TV broadcasters switch from analog to 100 percent digital broadcasts after February 17, 2009.

November 10, 2008 Press Release

 

WASHINGTON -- The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced updated participation rates by television market and that 62 percent of all over-the-air households, those that rely on an antenna for broadcast TV, have requested coupons from the TV Converter Box Coupon Program.  The program helps households switch to digital television when full-power TV broadcasters transition from analog to 100 percent digital broadcasts on February 17, 2009--100 days from today.

October 09, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON--Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today issued a Notice of Inquiry seeking public comments regarding the deployment of Domain Name and Addressing System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) into the Internet’s DNS infrastructure, including the authoritative root zone.   Comments are due by November 24, 2008.  The Notice of Inquiry is available online at www.ntia.doc.gov.

September 30, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON–The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), announced today that “over-the-air” television viewers who want to participate in the TV Converter Box Coupon Program should apply for coupons before the end of the year to minimize the chances of losing TV reception when full-power broadcasters switch to digital.  Full-power TV broadcasters switch from analog to 100 percent digital broadcasts on February 17, 2009.

September 16, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez announced today that residents of licensed nursing homes, intermediate care facilities, assisted living facilities and households that use a post office box for mail delivery will be eligible to request coupons from the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. The rule change takes effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.

September 03, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON — As Wilmington prepares to be the first market to transition from analog to digital television on September 8, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that more than 36,000 Wilmington households have requested 67,000 coupons and redeemed 25,000 from the TV Converter Box Coupon Program.  More than 17,000 of these households rely on television with an antenna, according to coupon applications. 

August 18, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON - The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that nearly 6.4 million “over-the-air” TV households, those that rely on an antenna for broadcast TV, have requested about 12 million coupons from the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. The program helps households switch to digital television when full-power TV broadcasters switch from analog to 100 percent digital broadcasts in six months.

July 24, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON- The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that the TV Converter Box Coupon Program has certified more than 150 converter boxes, including 63 that enable viewers to watch both analog broadcasts from low-power television stations and digital programs from full-power television stations. To date, more than 6.3 million converters have been purchased using a $40 coupon from the Program.

July 18, 2008 Press Release

 

WASHINGTON-U.S. Commerce Acting Assistant Secretary Meredith Attwell Baker today issued the following statement on the announcement that the nation's cable operators, working through the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA), have reached an unprecedented agreement with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Members of NCTA will use NCMEC's database of Web sites identified as containing child pornography to ensure that no such site is hosted on servers owned or controlled by those companies.

July 14, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON - Lynn Chadwick, Program Officer for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications, will address Native American leaders at the Federal Communication Commission Indian Telecommunication Initiative from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 17, 2008, at the Indian Walk-in Center, 120 West 1300 South Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.

May 22, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, today issued the following consumer alert about the Microprose MPI-500 and MPI-500PT digital-to-analog converter boxes.  Statements about the models were made in a May 20 press release by the Community Broadcasters Association and Microprose Systems LLC.  NTIA is discussing the announcement with these organizations.

May 06, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON—U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today issued the following
statement announcing one million coupons have been used as part of the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration (NTIA) TV Converter Box Coupon Program.
“The nation is nine months away from the historic February 17, 2009, digital television transition for
all full-power broadcasters. I encourage all Americans who rely on an antenna for their television
programs to learn about their options for the digital transition and to act on their decision.

April 23, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON—U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today issued the following statement marking 300 days until the nation makes the switch to digital broadcasting on February 17, 2009.
“Today, the nation is 300 days away from the historic digital television transition for all full-power broadcasters. Already, more than 650,000 households have acted by purchasing a converter box and are now experiencing the benefits of digital television with a clearer picture and more programming choices.

April 08, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON—Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez announced over 10 million coupons
have been requested since the launch of the TV Converter Box Program on January 1, 2008. The
February 17, 2009 transition will offer consumers a clearer picture, more programming choices and
free up the airwaves for better communications among emergency first responders. The Commerce
Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is administering
the TV Converter Box Coupon Program.

April 07, 2008 Press Release

WHO: Meredith Baker, Acting Assistant Secretary and Acting NTIA Administrator

WHAT: The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will provide an update on the TV Converter Box Coupon Program and highlight collaboration with the broadcast community, including: 

March 31, 2008 Press Release

DALLAS/FT. WORTH –The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today kicked off Digital Television: Experience the Benefits, an effort with local organizations across the country to educate consumers about the benefits of the digital TV transition and the TV Converter Box Coupon Program.  After February 17, 2009, all full-powered television stations will begin broadcasting only in digital. 

March 30, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON - The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today released a comprehensive report on the use of the nation’s airwaves used by the U.S.

February 15, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON—Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA), which runs the TV Converter Box Coupon Program, will begin mailing $40 coupons to
consumers next week--one year from the date of the digital television transition—to be used to
purchase eligible TV converter boxes. Converter boxes are needed to keep analog televisions
that rely on an antenna working when full-power television stations convert to all-digital signals
on February 17, 2009.

February 07, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON—Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today joined key stakeholders at a Washington, D.C. Best Buy to highlight the digital television transition, approximately one year away.  He urged Americans to take action and prepare for the digital television transition before February 17, 2009.  The transition will offer consumers a clearer picture, more programming choices and free up the airwaves for better communications among emergency first responders.