United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2007-10-17 monographic deposited born digital 25 p. GA 1.13:GAO-08-191T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-191T P0b002ee180377a0e f:d08191t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-191T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-191T GAO-08-191T Cable television Consumer education Digital television Private sector Program evaluation Risk management Spectrum Strategic planning Subsidies Systems conversions Telecommunications Telecommunications equipment Telecommunications industry Television broadcasting Program implementation Testimony A77428 On February 17, 2009, federal law requires all full-power television stations in the United States to cease analog broadcasting, enabling the government to reclaim valuable spectrum that the broadcasters currently use for analog broadcasts. This change, often referred to as the digital television (DTV) transition, requires action by broadcasters and consumers to ensure broadcast television signals are still available and viewable. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) created a program to subsidize consumers' purchases of digital-to-analog converter boxes. This testimony provides preliminary information on (1) the progress made by federal entities, and others, to facilitate the transition, (2) the progress in the education of consumers about the transition, (3) the progress made in implementing the converter box subsidy program, (4) technical issues of the transition, and (5) future GAO work on the progress of the DTV transition. GAO interviewed officials with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and NTIA. Further, GAO interviewed a wide variety of industry and other stakeholders involved with the transition, including members of the DTV Transition Coalition--a group of public and private stakeholders, and experts on strategic communications. GAO discussed this testimony with FCC and NTIA officials and incorporated their comments. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-191T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-191T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-191T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-191T.pdf GAO-08-191T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-191T Testimony GAO-08-191T; Digital Television Transition: Preliminary Information on Progress of the DTV Transition; Cable television Consumer education Digital television Private sector Program evaluation Risk management Spectrum Strategic planning Subsidies Systems conversions Telecommunications Telecommunications equipment Telecommunications industry Television broadcasting Program implementation