DTV Transition: 30 Days to Go!!!!!!!!!!!

DTV Transition: 30 Days to Go!!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted to pass a press release that the FCC sent to me about local walk-in clinics they will be Sears stores. Here it is:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FCC NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
Monday, May 11, 2009 Dan Rumelt, 202-528-1296
Email: Dan.Rumelt@fcc.gov
SEARS PUBLIC RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS:
Larry Costello, 847-286-9036
Email: lcoste5@searshc.com

FCC LAUNCHES FINAL PUSH TO PREPARE CONSUMERS FOR JUNE 12 DTV TRANSITION
Plans to Help Consumers Locally at Walk-in Clinics in Cooperation with Sears Stores
Chicago – With 30 days to go before the final June 12 digital television transition, representatives from the Federal Communications Commission, in cooperation with Sears, will be holding “30 Days Away Walk-in Clinics at Sears” at four Chicago-area Sears stores from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13.

At these walk-in Clinics, FCC staff will brief consumers on the status of the transition to digital television, apply online for converter box coupons on behalf of those who need them, and demonstrate how to hook up and operate converter boxes. Consumers having trouble setting up their converter boxes are welcome to bring their boxes to these events.

Sears stores have supplies of the digital-to-analog converter boxes and associates who are trained to answer questions for customers who need these products.

The four “30 Days Away Walk-in Clinics at Sears” locations are:

Sears at 2 Oak Brook Center, Oak Brook, IL 60523 (DuPage County); (630) 575-1800

Sears at North Riverside Mall, 7503 W. Cermak, North Riverside, IL 60546 (Cook County); (708) 588-6600

Sears at Golf Mill Mall, 400 Golf Mill Center, Niles, IL 60714 (Cook County); (847) 803-7500

Sears at 2 Louis Joliet Mall; 3340 Mall Loop Dr, Joliet, IL 60431 (Will County); (815) 439-2200


On June 12, all full-power television stations will cease analog broadcasts and provide service only in digital. Consumers who do not subscribe to pay television services and have an analog television will need a digital-to-analog converter box in order to continue receiving free, over-the-air television. They may also need to adjust or replace their antennas. More information about the DTV transition and about events in your community can be found at www.dtv.gov, or by calling the FCC toll-free at 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322).




-FCC-

News about the Federal Communications Commission can also be found on the Commission’s website http://www.fcc.gov/

About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,300 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes approximately 929 full-line and approximately 1,200 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End -- among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at http://www.searsholdings.com/.

CTC trip to London for Oxford Cambridge Boatrace Pictures

Along the Thames in London two days before the Oxford/Cambridge Boatrace


Oxford Rowing Coach Sean Bowdin, with me and CTC Rower Argel Herrera

CTC Rowers Argel Herrera and Abigail Avila being interviewed by ITV on the day of the Race

CTC trip to London for Oxford Cambridge Boatrace

Just wanted to add a quick little note about a story I just finished. Last summer, I did a story on the Chicago Training Center which teaches the sport of rowing to inner city kids. It is a great program since rowing is seen as an elitist sport.

Well as a follow-up story, I traveled with CTC as they brought two of their students to London for the Oxford/Cambridge Boatrace. CTC's founder, Montana Butsch (a former Oxford rower) brought them over to London as way to inspire them to continue with rowing.

It was a great trip. The students, High School Junior Abigail (possibly heading to MIT) and Freshman Argel Herrera, said they learned and saw a lot. Besides seeing the sites of London, they had a chance to tour Oxford, and meet the President and Coach of the Oxford Rowing Club. Colin Smith, the President of the rowing club came from humble beginnings himself and won the race on Sunday. Congrats Colin.

Another cool thing about the trip is that Argel got to race against his teammates in Chicago during a virtual Boatrace. The Boatrace was held by the London Youth Rowing Program. It's similar to CTC, except for the fact that it was created, and is supported by the London's Olympic Committee. Argel and Abigail got to hang out with the London Youth Rowers. They were great.

Stay tuned for the story on Chicago Tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!

DTV Coupons being sent out

June 12th is the new date!!!!!!!

Well, as most of you already know June 12th is the new date for the DTV transition. Of course many people may not know that February 17th could be the transition date for some. For example Oklahoma is transitioning on the 17th, and not June 12th. The DTV Delay allows for that move. But here in Chicago we won't transition until June 12th, which gives viewers more time to get ready.

I was hoping the transition would take place on the 17th to get it over with, but I understand the problems with coupon program.

One of my gripes about this transition has to do with VCRs. VCRs will work with the transition but it is going to be more difficult to record. I wish those folks could have been taken into consideration. The Zinwell box sold at Jewel/Osco could be the answer, but that seems to be the only option.

Good Luck everyone.

DTV Transition could still be delayed

Check out the Press Release Below. In a nutshell, it says that the House would have passed the DTV Delay Bill but the Bill didn't have the necessary two-thirds votes. So the delay could be coming because the Bill has been re-introduced in the Senate (where it passed before, and has passed again), and could be voted on this week in the House. Stay tuned.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release January 30, 2009

PRESS BRIEFING

BY

PRESS SECRETARY ROBERT GIBBS

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

1:55 P.M. EST

MR. GIBBS:…

And then lastly, let me go through just quickly the DTV question from yesterday, which as I said, I should have been better prepared for.

I think you all have copies of letters that were sent from the transition to both Houses of Congress in January. The transition, obviously, in an agency -- in the agency review process determined what it believed to be shortfalls in planning for the DTV transition. For instance, it found that the coupon program for converters had 3.3 million requests sitting on a waiting list, and that the FCC told Congress that the call center that it had established could not handle the rate of incoming calls.

The transition asked that Congress delay the February 17th transition. The House -- I'm sorry, the Senate voted on that last week and passed that delay. The Senate took -- I mean, sorry, I'm confused today -- the Senate voted on that, the House took the bill up under a suspension of the rules requiring two-thirds of those present supporting the bill. The bill passed with an overwhelming majority, but not with the necessary two-thirds. The Senate last night took the bill up again and passed it. I'm told that the House will vote next week. We anticipate that the House will pass a delay on DTV to June 12th. If that gets to the President's desk, and when that happens, the President will sign that delay into law so that we might undergo a little bit better planning process to ensure no interruption for people with televisions.