One Week Countdown to DTV

Washington, DC – Today, with only one week left until the digital television transition, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF) is sending the message that it is not too late for unprepared families to get ready for the DTV transition.

Households that have applied for their $40 coupons, but have not yet received them, should purchase and install at least one converter box if possible, to maintain access to critical emergency alerts and news.  Certified, local retailers have a plentiful stock of converter boxes.

Families who have not yet applied for their coupons can still do so until July 31, but will not receive their coupons in time to make the transition next week. To apply for a coupon, households must call 1-888-DTV-2009 or visit DTV2009.gov. It typically takes about nine business days to receive your coupons. To track the status of your coupons, visit: DTV2009.gov/CheckStatus.aspx.

The transition deadline is only seven days away, but there are many local resources and events in the coming days available for families with questions about the transition.  To find local resources, families can call 1-888-CALL-FCC or go to www.DTV.gov and enter their zip codes to find local DTV assistance centers.

If families have a coupon they can donate, now is the time to help neighbors who may not get their coupons in time.  LCCREF has partnered with nearly 100 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, unneeded, and unexpired coupons can mail them to:

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

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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.