DTV Assistance Centers Open in Last of Seven Targeted Cities

In an effort to ease the transition to digital television on February 17, LCCREF has teamed up with local organizations to open DTV assistance centers in seven cities.

Assistance centers recently opened in Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Portland, San Antonio, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay area.

The centers will provide information about the transition and technical assistance with the converter boxes that allow analog over-the-air televisions to receive a digital signal. They will also provide outreach to members of populations that will be hardest hit by the transition, including low-income families, older Americans, people of color and individuals with disabilities.

“Access to communications in the 21st century is not a luxury, it’s a right.  While we usually think of television as entertainment, it also provides critical emergency alerts and a lifeline to people. We’ve been seeing that folks aren’t ready for the switch.  That’s why we are providing technical support and training to our community to ensure that they are ready for the transition,” said Randy Engstrom, director of the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in Seattle.

Outreach and assistance will continue at the centers is part of a broader LCCREF partnership campaign in these cities.