The study, based on a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers in November, shows generally good progress is being made by the TV industry's consumer awareness campaign. Nearly half (48%) of U.S. households say they are aware of the impending digital TV transition, vs. 29% in a survey conducted in July 2005.
Groups most aware of the implications of the transition include broadband service subscribers (45%), digital cable subscribers (40%), and basic cable subscribers (39%). Only 31% of so-called over-the-air households were familiar with the transition. CTAM estimated that 17% of the survey respondents were from over-the-air households.
The survey also found that 47% of respondents did not know when the digital transition would actually occur, and that 26% believed it would take place sometime other than 2009.
Public awareness is critical to a smooth transition to the digital spectrum, because consumers who have analog TV sets and transmission systems would be required to use a special adapter to continue receiving TV signals after the conversion.
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