Newsroom: Cable & Satellite

For Immediate Release

Washington, D.C. (September 10, 2007) – Consumers Union today cautioned consumers that cable industry ads about the transition to digital television (DTV) may not provide accurate information about what services customers will receive or costs they will incur after the transition occurs.

On February 17, 2009, broadcasters will cease broadcasting television signals using analog technology, and will switch to digital; all viewers will have to have a digital-ready television, use a converter box, or subscribe to a cable or satellite TV company that will convert the signals for them.

Last week the cable industry launched a $200 million ad campaign to educate consumers about the DTV transition. The ads, which urge cable customers to relax because "cable will take care of them" in the digital transition, fail to indicate whether cable will convert all digital broadcast signals, or whether consumers will need to pay more for a set top box or other services that make it possible for consumers to continue using their analog cable services.

By apparently urging current cable subscribers not to take advantage of the government's low-cost digital converter box program, cable may be providing misleading information.

The cable industry has made a voluntary commitment to offer both digital and analog signals to their customers for three years—but it has not committed to do this nationwide. Cable's public statements indicate that cable companies would not provide these signals to customers in a significant part of the country, including rural areas. After this three year dual carriage period ends, it is not clear that consumers will not have to purchase new equipment or pay more for digital cable service.

"Cable can't have it both ways here—at the same time the cable industry promises to protect its customers, it has been aggressively lobbying federal policymakers against a requirement that it be required to maintain availability of broadcast and other analog services once the digital transition occurs," said Gene Kimmelman, Vice President of Federal and International Affairs for Consumers Union.

"We applaud the cable industry for launching a consumer information advertising campaign but urge the industry to offer consumers more information about what it will cost them to receive all broadcast channels from analog equipment, both day-to-day and in case their cable service is knocked out," Kimmelman added.

Please call Jen Fuson at (202) 462-6262 or email fusoje@consumer.org with any questions.

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