FCC Asks Broadcasters to Air Digital Transition Spots

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 6, 2009 - 8:56am.

Washington - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has asked broadcasters to suspend their regular programming for three five-minute time slots, during which they would broadcast a public service announcement about the pending transition to digital broadcasting on June 12, The Wall Street Journal reported.

"For consumers, it's an opportunity in advance of the transition to get a feel for their level of readiness. For people who think they're ready, it gives them a chance to check," FCC spokesman Rick Kaplan told The Journal.

The ad slots would be broadcast at 7:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on May 21, and would not apply to stations that have already switched off their analog signals.

According to the latest estimate from the National Association of Broadcasters, two million U.S. households remain unprepared for the transition.