Civil Rights Group Partners With Ethnic Media Group to Launch Radio PSA Campaign to Help Consumers With Digital TV Transition

Civil Rights Group Partners With Ethnic Media Group to Launch Radio PSA Campaign to Help Consumers With Digital TV Transition

DTV Transition May Create New Digital Divide for the Poor and People of Color

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF) and New America Media (NAM) today launched a radio PSA campaign aimed at informing consumers how to prevent their older, analog televisions from going dark when television stations begin all-digital broadcasting on February 17.

Studies indicate that 12.5% of African American households and 13% of Hispanic households are currently using analog televisions, and are not ready for the digital transition. In addition, households with annual incomes of less than $25,000 are five times more likely to be unprepared for the digital conversion than households earning more than $75,000.

"We are very concerned that a new digital divide will be created by all-digital TV broadcasting," said Wade Henderson, LCCR's CEO and president. "To bridge that divide, we are engaged in a campaign to inform consumers about how to navigate the DTV Transition. It's crucial that low-income people and communities of color stay connected to news and information, and have access to emergency announcements."

Mr. Henderson said that LCCREF and NAM have produced three radio PSAs - two in English (30-secs), one in Spanish (60-secs) - providing information that will help consumers with the DTV Transition. The organizations are asking radio stations to air the PSAs, which can be downloaded at http://network.newamericamedia.org/dtv. While the PSAs can be aired on stations across the country, the campaign has focused on seven target areas, where there are at-risk communities, such as communities of color, non-English speaking communities, and older Americans. These areas are: Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, San Antonio, San Francisco-San Jose, Oakland and Seattle.

"The digital conversion could be catastrophic if it leaves millions of people without access to television broadcasts that could save their lives in the event of a natural disaster," said Sandy Close, NAM's executive editor and director. "We are reaching out to radio stations to perform a public service by airing these PSAs. We need for communities to come together to prevent low income residents and people of color from being shut off from news and information."

(Radio stations seeking to air the PSAs please download here: http://network.newamericamedia.org/dtv or contact us. We also have hard copies available. Media seeking interviews contact Alicia Ingram, 404-493-1724 to schedule.)

CONTACT:
Alicia Ingram
404-493-1724

Source: Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund

CONTACT: Alicia Ingram of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Education Fund, +1-404-493-1724

Web Site: http://network.newamericamedia.org/

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