Three Weeks From DTV Transition, Coupon Donation Program in Full Swing

Media 05.19,09

Washington, DC – Today, with three weeks left until the June 12 digital television transition, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF) is calling for more donations of unused, unneeded converter box coupons.


LCCREF has partnered with over 50 community organizations to collect and distribute hundreds of coupons to needy families.  In a time of economic uncertainty, many are turning to community organizations for help.  To help these families with the switch, people with unused and unneeded coupons can mail them to:



Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund
National DTV Coupon Exchange Program
P.O. Box 66081
Washington, DC 20035


Working with local Assistance Centers, partners, churches and community organizations, LCCREF will ensure that the coupons are donated to families in need, many of whom live on a fixed income and would need the $40 subsidy to purchase their converter box.


Groups like LCCREF have focused their DTV efforts on traditionally hard-to-reach communities – people who speak a language other than English, the elderly, people with disabilities, and communities of color.


The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which administers the government-sponsored converter box coupon program, has expanded the program to allow families with expired or misplaced coupons to reapply, and has recently expedited the processing and shipping time so coupons reach consumers more quickly. 


However, many families who live at addresses that aren’t recognized by the government are ineligible for the coupons, which makes coupon donation programs like this vital to communities affected by the transition. 


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LCCREF has teamed up with local organizations nationwide to provide trainings and DTV-related assistance to members of impacted populations in seven major cities: Atlanta, GA; Detroit, MI; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN; Portland, OR; San Antonio, TX; San Francisco-San Jose-Oakland CA; and Seattle-Tacoma, WA.