The TV Digital Conversion May Isolate Poor Latino Neighborhoods

3. August 2008 by Tony Magana.

Many Americans have cable T.V., broad band internet, and/or satellite television in their homes. For most of us the public service commercials about the digital conversion of television signals scheduled for February of 2009 would seem to be unimportant news. However two important studies have in fact found that this event may have a very profound effect on the lives of potentially 23 million Americans.

Imagine a killer category 5 hurricane suddenly developing in the Gulf of Mexico two days away from striking the South Texas coast in the Fall of 2009. It is possible that 50% or more of poverty level homes in the Rio Grande Valley might not get the message about storm warnings or evacuations. Most of these people do not have cable or satellite television services and they rely upon local Spanish language television for their news. Their television sets may not be able to receive any news or news in a language they can understand. If the outdated Rio Grande River levees break as predicted than another Katrina type of disaster could occur.

Studies done by Centris, a media research firm, and the non-profit Consumer’s Union both confirm that this could be a likely crisis. Already Latino communities throughout the country have been victimized by large retail chains that sold new televisions to this group misrepresenting that these televisions would work without converter boxes. The FCC filed an enforcement order on April 10,2008 involving millions of dollars of illicit sales. In order to be able to receive digital television signals those with analog televisions will need to obtain a converter box. However, even with a converter box somewhere between a quarter to a 1/2 of viewers will still not be able to receive television signals with just simple antenna. Many will only be able to receive one channel. Many of the channels will be changing and signals that previously could be received by only a rabbit antenna will now require a more extensive antenna. Some low power stations will continue to transmit in analog and to receive those signals a household would need to have a very special converter box.

The cost of getting a converter box may be up to 70 dollars and that does not include additional costs for buying and installing antennae. The government will provide a coupon worth 20 dollars (each household can get 2) to help defray the cost of the converter at this website www.dtv2009.gov

Many Congressional leaders and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas have been saying that the FCC and the NTIA who are charged with supervising the transition are not doing enough. We at Contempo have been concerned when we spoke with some in the local Spanish media market who feel that there is now an unspoken prejudice against Spanish language media. Some have expressed concern that the large market shares (in fact they are majority market shares) enjoyed by Spanish language media in Hispanic areas around the country are a factor behind the transition. If Latinos are unable to receive Spanish language channels then these stations could possibly be put out of business by the transition.

The reason for the transition from analog to digital television is to free up more wavebands for use by emergency services such as fire, police, red cross, and disaster management organizations. However if poor communities are isolated this will have the opposite effect. The government needs to do more in the Latino community to help in the TV digital conversion. The deadline should be delayed. As of April 2008 only 10,000 out of a potential 300,000 coupons for the Rio Grande Valley had been ordered which shows the severity of the problem.

Last year Sen. Hutchison introduced S. 2507, the Digital Television Border Fix Act, which addresses the concerns of South Texas and border residents regarding the DTV transition by giving the FCC the ability to allow broadcasters along the border to continue analog broadcasts for five years, but maintains FCC authority to deny stations in the affected area the ability to simulcast in both analog and digital if it does not serve the public interest. The legislation applies only to stations within 50 miles of the common border with Mexico, specifically including Texas cities Laredo, McAllen, and El Paso. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is the chief co-sponsor of this legislation.

Go To Contempo Magazine Home Page

Posted in politics | Print | 1 Comment »