They've been trained to answer questions, and if they can't answer them, they'll know where to put those callers. We put a website together, DTV.gov, where you can do lots of neat things like find out whether they are broadcasting digital signals in your ZIP Code.
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What about in-home assistance?
We have a lot of help available that we didn't have before. We actually got people going out to do home installations. We got a deal with AmeriCorps where we have a lot of their volunteers going into people's homes and connecting boxes. A lot of fire departments around the country have volunteered to help install boxes. Church groups and civic groups have also stepped up to the plate.
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What is the public getting in return?
They're getting better television. They'll have a sharper picture. It won't be HDTV, obviously, but it's a better picture than what you had before, better sound. There will be more free broadcast channels because they can now multicast. You can put out four, five or six channels where you had one before.
And it's a wonderful opportunity for broadcasters to reflect the local culture, the diverse ethnic groups, the diverse religious groups in their programming. There's local politics, local music, bands, local orchestras and city council meetings.
So it opens up a whole array of possibilities to enhance the civic dialogue, to enhance entertainment, to reflect the cultures within a community and get other cultures seen. It can really serve the public interest.
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Give us an update on the coupon program that initially stopped sending out coupons when it ran out of money. Is there still money for more coupons?
The Commerce Department has done a terrific job of clearing up the backlog in January in a matter of weeks. People can apply for coupons through the end of July, unless it runs out of money before then.
The turnaround time now is 12 to 14 calendar days. And they're now sending out the coupons using first-class mail, instead of third-class mail like they were before.
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Will there be enough converter boxes on store shelves?
There might be some spot shortages. Again, if there's a last-minute rush for these things or people buy them even if they don't need to, then you never know.
You have to realize that most of these things are built overseas. The production lines have been shut down. To start them up again takes weeks, and it would take weeks again to get them on ships across the blue waters to get here.
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alex.pham@latimes.com
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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
SoCal stations
Here are major Southern California stations and the times Friday they plan
to go digital:
- KCBS 1:10 p.m.
- KNBC 11:30 a.m.
- KTLA 10:45 p.m.
- KABC noon
- KCAL 1:10 p.m.
- KTTV *
- KCOP *
- KSCI 11 a.m.
- KCET *
- KFTR 11:27 p.m.
- KMEX 11:59 p.m.
- KVEA 11:35 p.m.
- KWHY 11:35 p.m.
- KOCE 11:30 a.m.
- KLCS 3 p.m.
* Between midnight and Saturday morning
-- Alex Pham and Meg James
