• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, April 9, 2008

The federal mandate to phase out analog television broadcasts by early next year has given Verizon Communications a reason to step up marketing efforts for FiOS, the company's TV service running on a fiber-optic network.

While many consumers remain uncertain of what the change means for them, the marketing message coming from the New York-based company says subscribers to Verizon FiOS TV service are "ahead of the game." Some duplicate analog channels are being phased out, but it won't affect the digital service.

"The broadcast conversion next year puts a spotlight on TV, making people think about their current service," says Heather Wilner, Verizon spokeswoman, who notes that consumers have become more receptive to considering other available services. "This is a great time for customers to consider upgrading their service, particularly for those who are receiving over-the-air broadcast signals on an analog TV set."

The switch also has brought added attention to Verizon's advertising campaigns, Wilner says. The company recently introduced a series of television ads with consumers talking about their experiences using Verizon FiOS TV and FiOS Internet. The campaign, themed "This is FiOS; This is Big," uses both celebrities and everyday people to showcase the home entertainment and broadband experiences.

As for the conversion from analog to digital, Verizon aims to make the transition easy for customers by providing a free adapter. They also may choose to upgrade to a set-top box that enables them to see more programming, including high-definition (HD) channels with interactive services like video-on-demand programming and an interactive media guide.

Verizon will phase out the analog channels by region. New York customers will see the transition April 21. Customers have been notified by letters, e-mails and phone calls from Verizon. The company launched verizon.com/godigital to provide answers to common questions about all-digital service.

Customers also will see a message posted in FiOS TV's video-on-demand section, a public service announcement on the FiOS TV network, and a short message that crawls on the bottom of the screen on the local weather channel.