DTV Coupon Program Ends Tomorrow; Apply for Coupon Now
July 30, 2009 - Posted by Tyler Lewis
The federal government's DTV Converter Box Coupon Program ends tomorrow, July 31.
If you need a coupon, you should apply now. If you previously applied but your coupon or coupons expired, you can re-apply. To apply or to re-apply, call 1-888-DTV-2009 or visit www.DTV2009.gov before the deadline tomorrow. Mailed applications must be postmarked no later than midnight on July 31, 2009.
The coupons are valid for 90 days after they are issued. If you have questions about your coupon, please call 1-888-CALL-FCC.
If you have unused coupons, you should give them to families who may need them. You can also send them to us to be distributed to needy families.
More DTV information:
Choosing & Setting Up Your Converter Box
Make Sure Your Antenna Works for DTV
Rescan Your Converter Box
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Request DTV Coupons before July 31 Deadline
July 20, 2009 - Posted by Marcus-Alexander Neil
 The federal government's DTV Converter Box Coupon Program ends on July 31. If you still need a converter box, apply for the $40 coupons now before it is too late.
An increasing number of struggling families are canceling their cable subscriptions in order to make ends meet. Without cable, these families will need a converter box. It is important that these newly impacted families apply now for their converter box coupons.
To apply, call 1-888-DTV-2009 or visit www.DTV2009.gov before the deadline. The coupons are valid for 90 days after they are issued. They are transferable, meaning they can be given to others. If you have questions about your coupon, please call 1-888-CALL-FCC.
You can also donate unused coupons to families that still need one. LCCREF has partnered with nearly 100 community organizations to collect and distribute hundreds of coupons to needy families. If you don't know anyone in your neighborhood who needs a coupon, you can send them to us to distribute:
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund
National DTV Coupon Exchange Program
P.O. Box 66081
Washington, D.C. 20035
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Local Organizations Made the DTV Transition a Success
June 19, 2009 - Posted by Marcus-Alexander Neil
 A volunteer at a Portland, Ore., DTV assistance center shows a community member how to connect his converter box. The Digital Television Transition, which took place on June 12, was largely a success. A public education program that started more than a year before the transition was far-reaching and effective, as government agencies and LCCREF worked in harmony with local community organizations around the country.
Along with our partner organizations, we were able to directly help thousands of people before and during the transition. Often, the already-existing relationships between local organizations and the people in their communities were the key to success in finding and helping those most in need.
The majority of problems that people had on the day of the transition were due to problems with the installation of DTV converter boxes. Some who had a converter box and antenna were not able to connect them to their TV. Our assistance centers were able to help with troubleshooting, and were also able to help people apply for coupons if they still needed a converter box.
Our work does not stop here; we are still running a national coupon exchange program and offering support to those who are now without access to television. Troubleshooting over the next few weeks will be vital in ensuring everyone has made the switch to digital television.
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Assistance Centers Helped People Make the Digital Television Transition This Weekend
June 15, 2009 - Posted by Jenna Wandres
The digital television transition took place across the U.S. last Friday. The transition brought many TV viewers clearer pictures and more channels—but it also left millions of unprepared Americans with no TV reception at all.
For the past several months, LCCREF has partnered with local organizations in seven cities to provide DTV assistance to communities most in need of assistance making the transition. Over the weekend, the staff and volunteers at the assistance centers were hard at work to ensure that their communities stay connected with converter boxes and antennas. They fielded phone calls from consumers who needed help installing their converter boxes, went on visits to homes to help people install their converter boxes, hosted informational events to help community members get DTV-ready, and invited media to come see the work in action.
Here are some photos of their great work:
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Call the Toll-Free "DTV Hotline" If You Need Help Making the Transition to DTV
June 11, 2009 - Posted by Clarissa Peterson
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has created a "DTV Hotline" to provide support to consumers during the digital television transition.
If you have trouble installing your converter box or receiving digital channels, you can call the hotline at 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322). TTY users can call 1-888-835-5322.
You can also call the hotline if you need assistance applying for a converter box coupon or finding a converter box retailer.
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Make Sure Your TV Antenna Works for DTV Transition Day
June 10, 2009 - Posted by Lauren McGlothlin
With the digital television transition taking place in two days, it is important to make sure that your TV antenna works with your new converter box.
The same basic indoor antenna that provides good reception on an analog TV will usually provide good reception for DTV stations. The type of antenna that you need for DTV reception is determined by your location to the transmitting station, your antenna's position in the room, and your building structure.
Check out our instructions on how to make sure your antenna works for DTV to determine if you can continue using your current antenna, or if you need to upgrade to a more advanced antenna.
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DTV Transition Day Is Three Days Away. Are You Ready?
June 9, 2009 - Posted by Tyler Lewis
The transition to digital television is in three days.
You can still apply for the converter box coupon, but it takes about nine business days to receive your coupon, so you won't receive it in time for the transition on Friday. If you can, you may want to purchase and install a converter box so you can continue to access to critical emergency alerts and news.
If you have a converter box, there are still a few things you can do to get ready for the transition:
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Three Things You Can Do to Get Ready - and Help Others Get Ready - for the DTV Transition on June 12
June 2, 2009 - Posted by Tyler Lewis
Just 10 days remain until the transition to digital television. If you have analog TV and still need a converter box, request your converter box coupons today or they may not arrive in time for the DTV transition on June 12.
If you already have your converter box, there are still a few things you can do to prepare for the transition:
If you don't get ready for the transition now, you risk missing vital emergency information because your television service is out.
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Soft Test Gets People Ready for the DTV Transition
May 28, 2009 - Posted by Marcus-Alexander Neil
 Last Thursday, local broadcasters conducted "soft tests" of the nation's switch to digital television signals to remind the 3.3 million unprepared households to get ready for the transition on June 12th.
During the tests, viewers who were receiving analog over-the-air TV signals stopped getting their signals for a few minutes and were told to take action before June 12, the date when all analog signals will switch to digital. Calls to the FCC nearly quadrupled with people asking about the government coupon process, reception issues and problems with installing their converter box, showing that even people who had converter boxes still faced problems getting their TVs to work correctly.
"This soft test did exactly what it was supposed to do," said acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps. "It was a wake-up call for consumers who are unprepared, alerting them to the fact that they need to take the necessary steps before the June 12 DTV transition."
If you don't yet have a converter box for your analog TV, you can still apply for the government's $40 coupons toward the cost of a converter box by applying online or calling 1-888-388-2009 (voice) or 1-877-530-2634 (TTY).
If you have any spare coupons, send them to LCCREF's national coupon exchange program so that we may get them to people in need.
Make sure your TV sets are DTV ready!
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Support LCCREF's National Coupon Donation Program
May 21, 2009 - Posted by Marcus-Alexander Neil
With less than one month to go till the digital television transition on June 12 and with more than three million households still not prepared, LCCREF is continuing to work with communities around the country that still need help getting ready for the transition.
As part of our work, we have created a national coupon donation program to collect unused converter box coupons that we can distribute to people in need. You can help by sending us any unused and unneeded coupons that you have, and encourage those in your community to do the same.
Please send coupons to:
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund
National Coupon Donation Program
P.O Box 66081
Washington, DC 20035
Help us ready the U.S. for the transition.
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Setting Up Your Converter Box
Converter Box Coupon Program
Local Transition Resources
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