One of the last things anybody wants is a sudden influx of hundreds of millions of discarded analog television sets into America’s dumps. The FCC is teaming up with the EPA to lessen the impact of the switch to digital and to see that those who do discard their sets do so properly. The two government agencies are collaborating on a DTV.gov fact sheet with the pertinent information. They lead off with the obvious answer for those looking to extend the life of their analog set – either subscribe to an MVPD or get a digital-to-analog converter box. Consumers investing in a digital set are strongly encouraged to recycle the old analog set, which contains many components which retain value and can be repurposed. It offers suggestions on finding local recycling centers and directs consumers to three national organizations which can help: Earth 911, National Recycling Coalition and My Green Electronics.
RBR/TVBR observation: It’s been our experience that if there is any issue likely to generate passion among younger citizens, it is the environment. Even elementary school kids are aware of this, and since we’re talking about stewardship of a planet they intend to inherit, they tend to be among the greenest citizens you’ll ever meet. So any PSA exposure you give to this topic will not only earn brownie points with the government, it will likely also earn point in this often difficult and hard-to-please demographic, with possible loyal-viewer benefits to reap down the road.
