MOST VULNERABLE AT RISK IN TELEVISION TRANSITION

June 8 2009

Washington, DC – The Pantelegraph, created by Italian inventor Giovanni Caselli in 1865, was the first device to transmit images across a distance. A combination of a pendulum, electrochemistry, and ferrous ink, the Pantelegraph is more directly related to the modern fax machine, but the technology that it displayed led the way to
devices such as the Telephonoscope and advances in technology that eventually led to the invention of the now ubiquitous television set.

By 1928 the television came into being and gradually became the most widespread and powerful method of communication until it was usurped by the internet 70 years later. Now though, that source of comfort and communication that has engaged generations is facing its greatest challenge as millions of television sets risk going dark next week. With billions of dollars spent the federal government has made every effort to transition people to the new age of digital broadcast. Millions across the country though have not made the either due to ignorance or finances and for the first time in over half a century those people may have to go without as they prepare to tune into static. 

“In the past five months we’ve tried to accomplish what should have been done over
the last four years. We are much better prepared than we were in February, when the original transition was to have occurred, but there will nonetheless be significant disruptions,” said Michael J. Copps, acting head of the Federal Communications Commission. “The people most likely to lose reception are society’s most vulnerable — lower-income families, the elderly, the handicapped and homes where little or no English is spoken. The transition will also hit inner-city and rural areas hardest.”

It is estimated that at least three million homes are at risk in the transition. Particularly worrying is the vulnerability of major markets such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Boston, and Dallas-Fort Worth. It’s not immediately clear how many of those three million homes are in those cities but the risk to those major markets has lawmakers concerned.

“I don’t think you can make the argument that the government hasn’t made the effort to prepare people. They delayed the transition, employed civil rights groups and emergency personnel to get the word out, but there are still huge numbers of people that haven’t transitioned over and like it or not come next Tuesday, there’s really going to be nothing on TV,” said Scrape TV Media analyst Sarah Piper. “It’s hard to get an exact number on what percentage of people this three million number is in relation to the rest of the country. So many people have lost their homes in the last little while that it’s very difficult for anyone to have clear numbers but regardless of the percentages, the gross number is extremely high and that means a lot of very unhappy and potentially very vulnerable people across the country."

The transition was moved in part to coordinate with the off season for primetime programming, as well as the space between the end of the NBA season and start of the NFL. It’s not immediately clear what kind of social impact the loss of television will have but estimates have ranged from decreased purchasing of luxury goods to whole scale panic and potential terrorist invasions.

“Everyone knows that the first stage of an invasion is cutting off the lines of communication. In this case that has already happened and would perfectly set the
stage for an opportunistic organization or country. You can’t just think Al Qaeda. Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, potentially any enemy of the United States could use this failed digital TV transition to their advantage and get a foothold within the country,” continued Piper. “This could also have been part of a plan by one or more of these organizations to spread disinformation and prevent people from switching to digital in order to create chaos and lay the groundwork for this invasion. Of course it may just mean that people won’t be able to watch TV until they get things sorted out, but it would be safer to think the worst and hope for the best.”

The FCC has hired temporary staff to help field calls after the transition. 911 programs and National Guard facilities have also been prepped in anticipation of a full scale ground invasion.

Martin Philton, Technology Correspondent

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