Digital Gap: 9% Of Viewers Unprepared For Switch

by Wayne Friedman , January 20, 2009

Nine percent of U.S. TV viewers are still unprepared for the changeover from analog to digital come next month, says media agency Mindshare, which could impact the TV audience.

These numbers are in line with previous estimates from a number of research companies over the last several months.

Some U.S. viewers are doing nothing about the change--although they have at least one TV set in their home that has only analog service. "Now that the government has run out of money for converter box coupons, there are going to be a lot of sets that are not ready, which could impact the TV audience," said Debbie Solomon, managing director of business planning of Mindshare, in a release.

In recent months, Mindshare notes that 16% of the 1,200 respondents to its study have bought new TV sets, and another 16% are subscribing to cable in anticipation of the digital move. It also says that 9% have ordered the coupon the government is offering to help them buy a converter.

Ironically, the major government marketing plan to get out the word about the change seems to have worked--at least in the minds of TV viewers. Mindshare says only a minority of consumers believe that the government and the FCC could do more to warn consumers.

TV viewers have mixed views about the change to digital. Mindshare reports that 38% are looking forward to better-quality TV signals; 31% are ambivalent and 20% are angered about the costs involved.

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2 comments about "Digital Gap: 9% Of Viewers Unprepared For Switch".

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Douglas Ferguson from College of Charleston, January 21, 2009 at 8:48 a.m.
Hmm. If only 12% of homes are unserved by cable or satellite and 9% of homes are unprepared, does that mean only 3% were paying attention the last two years to the blizzard of messages about the switch?
My guess is that some (most?) of the 9% don't matter, because they already have cable or satellite and won't be affected by the switch. But it's just a guess.
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Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited, January 21, 2009 at 12:20 p.m.

As Aunt Sylvia, who is in her 80's, lives in a subsidized apartment, said, "What's to understand? All over the TV they're telling you to call for a coupon so I did. It was easy enough and cheap enough to get the boxes and to plug it in. What's to understand?". So when the 9% or whatever's TVs go dark, they'll get it. What's to understand?