Yesterday, our allies at the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (a coalition we are a member of) released a new report titled "Transition in Trouble: Action Needed to Ensure a Successful Digital Television Transition".

This report highlights the problems Americans will face on February 17th, 2009 when all TV transmissions will go to digital instead of analog.

What this means is that millions of Americans, if not prepared, will lose all access to their primary source of news and information. And according to this report, many of those people are NOT prepared for it.

As the report states:
"Broadcast television is the primary news source for most Americans. Especially reliant on free over-the-air television are low-income Americans, seniors, persons with disabilities, non-English speakers, and minorities - many of the communities served by members of the Leadership Conference. These communities also own a disproportionate number of older analog television sets that require a converter box to receive digital broadcasts.

For many members of these communities, free over-the-air broadcast television is a lifeline. It keeps them informed and engaged in their communities and warns them about potential life-threatening situations. Many Americans owe their lives to emergency weather or public safety warnings broadcast to their television sets. "

A key reason Common Cause cares about this is that broadcast TV is also the primary source of information many Americans use to make decisions in our democracy. While of course it should never be the sole source of information, our democracy functions best when information is received from diverse sources, and local news is one of those.

Common Cause supports the recommendations of LCCR's report. We also urge everyone to spread the word about the digital translator coupon program. Go to http://www.dtv2009.gov/ to get a coupon and to learn more about the transition.