Beyond deficit reduction measures, Congress will be voting on an amendment that would specifically eliminating all federal funding for public broadcasting as early as February 14th.

These cuts threaten the PBS and NPR programming you love … and the vary viability of many local stations.

TAKE ACTION:  Call your elected officials in the House of Representatives.  Don’t know how to contact, your Representative?  It’s easy, CLICK HERE to find your Congressional Representatives’ names, visit their websites, and locate their phone numbers.

Then, sign up to learn how you can do more to support public broadcasting by joining with your neighbors at 170MillionAmericans.org.

Here are the facts!

• More than half of all Americans use public media every month.  170,000,000 Americans connect through 368 public television stations, 934 public radio stations, hundreds of online services, and in-person events and activities.

• Public broadcasting is one of the most effective public / private partnerships in America. Annual federal funding amounts to only $1.35 per American.  That investment is leveraged six times by local PBS / NPR stations to provide service to your community.

• Americans believe (and research confirms) that public broadcasting is highly deserving of government support.  In fact, American’s rate public broadcasting second only to the U.S. Military as an important use of Federal funds.

• Public broadcasting supports lifelong learning for all Americans.  Investments in educational for children, cultural, public affairs and news programming, digital classroom resources, teacher training, and distance learning have made public broadcasting a leader in lifelong learning.

• Public broadcasting strengthens our democracy.  The free flow of ideas and debate helps us participate in the political process as informed citizens.

Why public television … and radio too!

Learning is the bedrock of a civilized society.  It begins before birth and ends only at death.  For the child, learning is the key to future success.  For the older person, it is the fountain of youth.  This uniquely human aspiration allows us to benefit from the lessons of history, accept opinions and beliefs that differ from our own, and connect us to other people, places and cultures.

A community of learners is a strong community; where individuals seek their fullest potential – enriching their lives and those of others, gaining from wisdom, celebrating our common and differing heritage, participating in democracy and promoting civility.

In 1958, Edward R. Murrow said of television’s promise that, “this instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, it can even inspire.”  Yet with more television channels available today, ever fewer attempt to achieve these high aspirations.  The purpose of nearly all television channels is profit.  With so much of what you see controlled by a handful of powerful and distant corporations, who cares about your community?

Your local public television station cares.  They are your neighbors; they share the values of your community.  You PBS / NPR station is a nonprofit, community-owned, governed, and operated station.  We’re available to all regardless of their means.  Public broadcasting’s goal is to empower learning, individual growth, and to strengthen our communities.

Your local PBS / NPR station is committed to using television / radio for its highest purpose and reflecting the needs, aspirations, and desires that are uniquely those of the communities they serve.

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Don’t let your silence threaten your local PBS / NPR station.  Take action now.  Call your Representatives in Congress and let them know you value PBS, NPR, and especially your local public broadcasting stations.

Don’t know how to contact, your Representative?  It’s easy, CLICK HERE to find your Congressional Representatives’ names, visit their websites, and locate their phone numbers.

Then, take a moment to sign up with your neighbors for updates at 170MillionAmericans.org.

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Want to read more about the case for public broadcasting?  CLICK HERE to read William F. Baker’s article, “Save Big Bird, Nova, Jim Lehrer: Congress must not pull the plug on PBS and NPR,” in the February 7, 2011, issue of the New York Daily News.

The transition of America’s television from analog to digital is failing. It doesn’t need to. Viewers can switch and start watching digital channels today. It’s not that expensive. It doesn’t take much time.

Sure, more people are “aware” of that conventional, analog television broadcasts will cease at midnight on February 17, 2009, but asking viewers what actions are required leaves most speechless.

Confusion about who, when, and how to receive digital television is growing. Adding to the confusion are competing messages from the government, consumer electronics retails, broadcasters, cable and satellite subscription television services.

Research indicates that 40% of viewers don’t plan to take any action until after their TV sets go dark. Low-income, minorities, handicapped, and senior citizens are even less likely to be knowledgeable or have taken action to maintain their access to television. The DTV transition risks increasing the split between those who have access to information and those who don’t throughout America.

Let me simplify what I last described as “overwhelming alternatives.” First, most experts and articles you read indicate that if you have cable or satellite, you need do nothing. That’s true. But, I want to make the case that every home in America that can receive an over-the-air signal should be equipped to do so.

Here’s why being able to receive over-the-air television signals is better:

• They Are FREE: Cable and satellite all have monthly subscription fees. These firms will be offering you “great introductory” subscription rates.

• Get All Local DTV Channels: Cable may not carry all the new channels provided by each of your local television stations. Satellite services will carry just the main channel. You can get them all.

• Better Picture Quality: Remember, digital television is not high-definition television (HDTV), but the picture quality is significantly improved. No snow. No ghosts. To squeeze more channels into less space, cable or satellite companies “compress” television signals, sent them you, and uncompress them in their set-top boxes. Over-the-air signals don’t suffer from “compression artifacts.”

• Gives You Options: Cable and satellite subscription services all must include a connector on their set top boxes so you can hook-up an indoor or out door antenna to receive over-the-air signals. Doing so means you’ll always have the option to cancel your monthly subscription and keep watching all the local digital channels (yes, you’ll need a digital TV set or to buy a DTV Converter as described below). Depending on the channels you watch, this could save some families up to $1,000 or more each year.

• Vital In Emergencies: While it’s possible that a local, regional, or national incident might result in you being unable to receive cable or satellite signals, you’ll probably still be able to receive one or more local television broadcast stations if you are prepared to receive over-the-air signals.

Whether you now have cable, satellite, or receive over-the-air television signals, you and follow these steps to make sure you can receive over-the-air digital television signals after all analog broadcasting ceases at midnight on February 17, 2009.

1) Determine if you have a TV set with a digital or analog tuner. New or recently purchased digital TV sets (manual or the back of the set will mention “ATSC” or that the tuner is digital. Older, conventional, analog TV sets will say nothing or that the tuner is NTSC (analog).

2) If your TV set receives digital, you’re either watching DTV today, or would benefit from hooking up an indoor or outdoor antenna.

3) If your TV set receives analog, you’ll need to buy a DTV Converter and connect it between your antenna and your TV set. It will convert the new digital channels to Channel 3 or 4 or your existing set. Follow these simple steps:

• Get Discount Converter Coupons: While DTV converters cost $50 to $90 — more if you want extra features — the U.S. government will provide each household with two DTV Converter Box Discount Coupons. Sign up for coupons.

• Pick A DTV Converter Box: Features vary and most stores only carry one or two models. If you live in a rural area and / or receive any television channel from a translator, relay, or low-power stations, you’ll want to select a box with the “analog pass through” feature. Discount coupons can only be redeemed on government approved DTV Converter boxes. See the list.

• Buy Your New DTV Converter Box: Note, the government’s $40 discount coupons expire just 90-days after they are issued. Millions of coupons have expired because viewers didn’t make purchasing their DTV Converter Box a high priority.

• Hook Up Your DTV Converter Box: If you already have an indoor or outdoor antenna, simply follow the instructions and connect the box between your antenna wire and your TV set. If you don’t have an indoor or outdoor antenna, talk with your neighbors who do to learn what types, heights and orientations seem to work best. Get local station info.

• Antenna Upgrades Maybe Needed: If you hook up your DTV Converter, follow the directions to “scan” for channels, and get nothing — or just a few of the stations you previously could receive over-the-air, talk with your neighbors to see if upgrading your indoor or outdoor antenna will help.

Because digital television — like digital cellphones — work or don’t work, this part can be a bit tricky and you may want to seek help from a “tech savvy” friend. Remember, you don’t want to be installing or adjusting your antenna this winter just before the shut off. Get antenna info.

Enjoy your free, over-the-air digital channels . . . and remember you have an alternative to subscription-based, pay television from cable and satellite services.

Thank you.

If you’re like me, you’ll probably need to add an inexpensive piece of television receiving gear to continue watching television after the full-power, conventional television broadcasts cease on February 17, 2009.

One misconception is that to watch digital television (DTV) signals, you’ll need to subscribe to cable or satellite, or purchase an expensive new receiver. Not true.

You can start watching digital television FREE over-the-air broadcast signals with the addition of as little as an inexpensive DTV Converter. New DTV Converters are announced almost daily my major consumer electronics companies. Full-power broadcasters are already broadcasting in digital and that’s all you need to enter the digital TV era.

Digital TV converter boxes can now be purchased at many consumer electronics stores and major retailers, including RadioShack, Wal-Mart, Sears, Target, K-Mart, Best Buy, Circuit City, and Sam’s Club. Call before you drive to the store to make sure these DTV Converter boxes are in stock.

The cost of these DTV Converters (like the UHF Converters of old) is $40 to $80 — and because the government is going to auction off the “about to be excess television frequencies” to wireless companies and reserve some for emergency services, the government is providing a maximum of two DTV Converter $40 discount coupons per household. More than a million Americans have already signed up for coupons since they were made available on January 1, 2008. You can sign up to get these coupons at <http:www.dtv2009.gov> – a site operated by the National Telecommunications Information Agency (NTIA).

Another misconception is that ALL terrestrial television broadcasters are required by the Federal Communications Commission to switch to broadcasting their over-the-air signal to digital — signing off their conventional (analog) transmitters for the last time in just 400 days. Not true.

The FCC only says that full-power television broadcasters must switch to digital. However, low-power stations and perhaps equally important relay transmitters and translators are NOT required to switch — at least not under the same timetable as full-power television broadcasters.

Full-power television stations have been broadcasting in both conventional (analog) and digital television for some time — and viewers can continue to watch conventional television until these transmitters are shut off for the last time on February 17, 2009. At that point, viewers with conventional TV sets will need to have one of the digital solutions outlined above or their screens will go blank.

In fact, if you want to watch digital over-the-air signals with rabbit ear or outdoor antennas AND receive additional translator or relay channels over-the-air you can’t just purchase “ANY” DTV Converter — as it could prevent you from being able to watch the non-digital translator stations.

To watch both, you must purchase the somewhat less common, but available “analog pass through” DTV Converter. When turned on, it coverts digital signals so they can be viewed on a conventional television. With their power off, these DTV Converters “analog pass through” translator, relay, and low power stations so viewers can continue watching them on their conventional television sets.

Even if ALL your over-the-air signals come from translators (e.g., several different stations — but all using translators / relay stations to reach you), you should sign-up for the DTV Converter discount coupons <http:www.dtv2009.gov> and purchasing the “analog pass through” type of DTV Converter box described above. Because we still don’t know when the translators will switch to digital broadcasting and, when they do, they probably won’t all begin digital broadcasting at the same time, you’ll already be fully prepared.

There are at least three coupon-eligible boxes that offer the “ANALOG PASS-THROUGH” feature (ECHOSTAR TR-40, Philco TB100HH9, Philco TB150HH9, and Magnavox TB100MG9). For the most up-to-date list, visit <http:www.dtv2009.gov>.

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One thing is more clear than a digital high-definition television (HDTV) picture — and that’s that far too few people are aware that conventional television is coming to an end. Even fewer understand their options may be as simple as the addition of a DTV Converter. However, as illustrated above, the number of choices available to viewers can be overwhelming.

Given so many options, it may be easy for some viewers to conclude that they must subscribe to cable or satellite, but such a conclusion is just plain wrong.  (See Consumer Reports post, May 11, 2009).

In fact, a case can be made that the highest quality digital television signals (and HDTV) will be available FREE over-the-air and can be received with rabbit ears or an outdoor antenna. More about why in a future post.

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RareMedium is published as part of the Gilbert Authors Network is a small collection of weblogs authored by respected colleagues and friends of Michael Gilbert, the Editor of Nonprofit Online News <http://nonprofitnews.org>. Check out the other weblogs in this network. What follows are short descriptions and links.

Digital Diner, by Gavin Clabaugh

http://digitaldiner.org

Gavin Clabaugh is the CIO at a large private foundation in the U.S. and has played a major role in furthering the effective use of information technology in civil society. He has helped found or lead a number of organizations, including the Nonprofit Technology Network, Aspiration, the Technology Affinity Group of the Council on Foundations, the Innovation Funder’s Network, and the Washtenaw Land Trust. At Digital Diner, Gavin writes with great wit about technology, society, and his many other interests, which include food, wine, song, politics, gardening, literature, science fiction, movies, animals, and travel.

The Guru’s Handbook, by Asher Bey

http://guruhandbook.com

Asher Bey is the pseudonym for a teacher and writer living in the U.S. “in a place where there are trees, mountains, and running water, all of which he quite appreciates”. The Guru’s Handbook is an exploration of the deeper issues involved in being a teacher, such as questions of power, self-knowledge, and responsibility. Recent topics have included: Exercises in Listening, Why Teach When There Are Books?, On Being Done, When the Student Passes You, and Excavating Fear.

The Nexilist’s Notebook, by Burt Webb

http://nexilist.com

Burt Webb has been a popular speaker, columnist, radio host, software developer, and activist. A “nexilist” (derived from a word coined by A. E. Van Vogt in The Voyage of the Space Beagle) is “one skilled in the science of joining together in an orderly fashion the knowledge of one field of learning with that of other fields”. This precisely captures the spirit of insight and connection that Burt brings to this weblog. Recent topics have included: the nature of fairness, a proposal for a better spacecraft, religious typologies, contemporary fascism, and the mysteries of memory.

Tropes of the Times, by Phil Bereano

http://tropesofthetimes.com/

Phil Bereano is an emeritus professor of engineering and public policy and a recognized expert on the ethical and social considerations of technologies, especially genetic engineering. He is on the National Board of the American Civil Liberties Union, chairing its Committee on Databases and Civil Liberties. About Tropes of the Times, he says: “Although I have read the NY TIMES almost daily since Junior High School, it wasn’t until my politics matured that I realized its function as the Establishment’s official line of ‘right-thinking’. Even with a different politic, however, understanding the TIMES (and especially the white spaces) is critical to knowing what ‘the Man’ is about. My blog deconstructs some of the pieces in the newspaper and tries to identify the key tropes or “lines.” The newspaper provides a surfeit of examples, but I write about one or two of them each month.”

With, by Michael Gilbert

http://with.gilbert.org

Michael Gilbert is the Editor of Nonprofit Online News and a well known speaker and consultant to civil society organizations around the world. Michael has served as Executive Director or Chief Executive of six organizations, as a board member or officer of more than thirty, and as a communication and management consultant to over 1000 organizations in more than 20 countries over the last 23 years. “With” is his exploration of the nature of connection and the role of networks and systems, particularly in social change and civil society.

Looking back, it’s hard to imagine how today’s technology has simplified what and how I watch television.

I can still remember the day my Dad brought home the Zenith TV set. I must have been six years old. It was a black & white site, naturally, but I can remember watching test patterns on Saturday mornings waiting for stations to sign-on at 6 am. The test pattern would go to black and the “Star Spangled Banner” would play as fighter jets soared though the sky and my morning of cartoons had officially begun. It seems like only a few years later, I started watching programs on National Educational Television — the forerunner of PBS.

Since that time in 1957, technology has changed everything. Now with an HDTV set (I elected to stay with a modest SONY’s XBR standard set and give LCD and plasma screens another seven years to improve their quality and drop in price), A/V Receiver w/ Dolby DTS, DVD, VCR, DirecTV, and a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) I could watch just about anything at anytime.

But, to my surprise, I didn’t. All that increase in technology had not increased the time I spent viewing television. In fact, it may have made me a lot more selective.

While my wife and I enjoy buying or renting DVD movies as much as anyone, we found our lives only had time for about a movie a week. With the DVR set to record our favorite series, I realized we were watching just a few hours of television a week. With busy lives, I calculated that the cost we paid for DirecTV was $5 to $10 per program.

I realize my viewing experience is probably anything but typical, but the reality of what I was actually watching (vs. recording) was nothing less than what business author, Tom Peters, used to call a “blinding flash of the obvious.”

Now, if I were in a location where it was possible to receive FREE digital broadcast signals — and the mountain between me and the transmitter guarantees I am not — I’d be more than satisfied with free, over-the-air public television stations’ digital signals, captured by my digital video recorder (DVR), and viewed when I chose in HDTV with Dolby DTS 7.1 sound.

Digital television broadcasting and other improvements in technology may do little for commercial network reality series or game shows, but when used with PBS programming that brings the world into my living room the results are stunning.

NATURE, NOVA, FRONTLINE, MASTERPIECE THEATRE, THE NEWSHOUR WITH JIM LEHRER, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and other PBS favorites have never looked or sounded better.

As promised, a future post will describe why the very highest quality television signals may well require you purchase a new antenna. But for now, I’ll settle for defining “television happiness” as my digital PBS TV stations, my DVR, and me . . .

If you’re a homeowner in most cities, you have choices as to what television services you receive, how, and who provides them. You’re lucky.

If you live in most apartment buildings, you have only one choice. You can subscribe to the cable company that negotiated an exclusive contract with your building owners or managers or, without the option of an outdoor antenna; you can watch whatever rabbit ears will allow. But all of this may be about to change.

Sunday’s, October 28, 2007, New York Times, reports that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the government agency that regulates broadcast and subscription television services is about to strike down the long-existing exclusive contracts between cable operators and apartment buildings.

Tossing those exclusive contracts may do more than give apartment residents more options. It should also make cable companies more competitive and, in the end, that could mean substantially lower monthly cable fees as those companies attempt to retain their apartment subscribers.

Kevin J. Martin, Chairman of the FCC told the New York Times, “Exclusive contracts have been one of the most significant barriers to competition. ‘Cable prices have risen about 93 percent in the last 10 years.’ This is a way to introduce additional competition, which will result in lower prices and greater innovation.”

The FCC’s plans could be of significant benefit to low-income and minority families. FCC officials and consumer groups reported that while 25% of American’s live in apartment building with 50 or more people, however, that figure rises to 40% for Hispanics and African-American households. In situations were competition was encouraged, cable subscribers’ monthly fees declined up to 30%.

Who will compete with cable companies for their current apartment subscribers? This list grows every day. Satellite television companies, small point-to-multi-point wireless television services, and ultimately companies like Verizon Communications and AT&T. Looking into the future, there will be more community based wireless services — much like cellphones today. Even your power company may ultimately provide television programming services; after all few companies have their door-to-door wired infrastructure.

With cable and satellite television programming providers continuing to increase their monthly subscription rates, it’s great to see the FCC encouraging more competition. It’s an especially important step in keeping America from further divisions based on those who can afford information and entertainment and those who cannot.

With the transition from conventional to digital television set to occur in just 478 days, it is a brave new world out there!

<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/business/media/29cable.html?hp>