What's Happening
* When the country switches to DTV, some older Americans may be stranded on the wrong side of the digital divide. The Senate Special Commission on Aging is studying how Matures will be affected when free analog signals cease in February 2009.
* There's reason for concern. Americans 65 and older are far more likely to live in over-the-air households. 61% of those viewers have “no idea” the transition is taking place, according to an American Public Television Society study (SeniorJournal.com 9.17.07).
* To help analog households navigate the switch, the government is offering $40 coupons toward the cost of set-top converter boxes. The Catch-22? To qualify, consumers must have a unique U.S. address, making many nursing home and assisted-living residents ineligible.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS
* It's great that the Senate is spotlighting this issue, but that's only the first step. Matures and other consumers likely to be affected need knowledge in order to maintain control of their media.
* The red tape attached to converter-box coupons could plague the program with Medicare Part D confusion.
Source: Iconoculture, 10/18/07
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