But are consumers acting on that awareness? Not so much, according to a new study from the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS). "Many consumers are unaware that there are immediate benefits to making the transition, such as enjoying the digital services Public Television stations are providing now," said APTS Acting President and CEO Mark Erstling. Here are some numbers from APTS. 62% of households are planning to buy a digital TV or a converter box. 8.8M households plans to use the box, and 10.3M have requested a coupon. Only 64.4% of that group has received the coupon, and only 54.2% had redeemed the coupon. 38% have actually gone all the way, actually acquiring and installing the converter box. APTS notes that the number of households that are planning to subscribe to an MVPD has dropped dramatically, from 29% in November 2007 to only 12% in May 2008. The numbers come from a Centris study.
RBR/TVBR observation: It would be nice to avoid a mad rush for equipment as the countdown to DTV approaches zero, so APTS’s point is well taken. It may well be time for those getting the word out about the transition to transition themselves, from a purely educational approach to one issuing a call for consumer action.
