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<H1>Hams' help still needed in DTV switchover </H1>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>Not everyone is ready for the upcoming United States
transition to all-digital television and ham radio's assistance is still needed
in the public awareness campaign. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF, reports:</FONT></P><FONT
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<P><FONT face=Verdana>According to the A.C. Neilsen Company, some 3.8 million,
or 3.4% of all United States households are still unprepared for the digital
television transition slated to take place on June 12th. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>Geographically, Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the least
prepared, with 9.4% having no over-the-air digital reception capability. It’s
followed by the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and Houston, Texas, each with 6.3%
of the citizenry not ready for the transition.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>On the other side of the equation, the most digital ready
cities appear to be New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut and the Providence to
New Bedford region of Rhode Island. Each of these have less than one percent of
their citizens unprepared for the digital TV change.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>As previously reported, several months ago the FCC
requested, through the ARRL, that ham radio operators assist their communities
in preparing for the digital television rollout. Many radio clubs across the
U.S. have <BR>reportedly become involved as advisors in this ongoing public
service effort, nationwide.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana></FONT> </P>
<P><EM><STRONG><FONT face=Verdana>Jim Meachen, ZL2BHF</FONT></STRONG></EM></P>
<P><BR><FONT face=Verdana>Again, the date for the transition to digital
television in the United States is June 12th. If your club wants to assist in
helping the public to be prepared for the move, please contact the
ARRL<BR></FONT><BR></P></BODY></HTML>