New York -- Federal Communications Commission member Jonathan Adelstein called the coming digital-TV transition a "win-win" proposition for broadcasters looking to market themselves and reconnect with their local communities.
In a pretaped address at Promax/BDA North America 2008 here Wednesday, Adelstein urged broadcasters to approach the February 2009 switch to digital broadcasting as an opportunity to distinguish themselves through their efforts to inform viewers about the change.
Adelstein also encouraged stations to conduct early trials of their analog shutoff, as stations in Wilmington, N.C., plan to do Sept. 8, suggesting that such dry runs could be excellent promotional vehicles. (Adelstein previously endorsed more trial shut-offs in an interview with B&C.)
The National Association of Broadcasters similarly urged broadcasters to view the transition -- in which all full-power broadcasts must switch to digital by Feb. 18, 2009 -- as a chance to distinguish themselves from their cable and satellite competitors.
