FCC Extends CSD's DTV Contract to June 30

June 2009

Editor: Don't forget that the transition to digital TV will happen on June 12! The FCC has contracted with CSD to inform the hearing loss community about the transition and to assist with issues as they arise. That contract originally ended at the end of May, but has been extended to the end of June. So do take advantages of this service if you have questions or problems with the DTV transition.

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Originally planned to end May 31, now the 3.6 million homes still unprepared for DTV switch can access CSD's Help Center after the June 12 transition deadline.

In January, CSD announced that it had been awarded a contract from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to implement an awareness campaign targeted at the nation's deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind consumers in regards to the digital TV (DTV) transition. Later, the Senate and House passed a bill to delay the deadline from Feb. 17 to June 12. The original CSD contract term was set to run through May 31, but understanding the need to continue providing CSD's DTV resource after the June 12 deadline, the FCC appropriated further funding, giving CSD another month to operate its DTV Help Center, until June 30.

Now, thanks to the FCC's flexibility and commitment to deaf and hard of hearing consumers, the DTV Help Center will continue being an active resource for weeks following the DTV transition deadline of June 12. This is a major boon to deaf and hard of hearing consumers still seeking DTV information, which is why the DTV Help Center was implemented

The DTV Help Center has assisted thousands of deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and hearing consumers since it was launched in early February. This innovative call center can receive traditional phone calls, and also TTY, relay, video relay, videophone, and CapTel calls. This means that regardless of the level of hearing loss, the Help Center is equipped to handle any call type preference. The Help Center customer support staff consists of both hearing people and those fluent in ASL. Meaning, if a deaf person prefers to "see" and use sign language via videophone to receive customer support, that option is available. Besides phone calls, the Help Center can also answer questions via Instant Message and e-mail. Overall, it's a new call center business model created specifically for deaf and hard of hearing consumers.

"When we opened up our DTV Help Center, we knew the value of providing services accessible by videophone, e-mail, relay, Instant Message, and traditional telephony," said Ben Soukup, CSD chief executive officer. "After the numbers of testimonials from the consumers we've served and the overall assistance to thousands of people -- deaf and hearing -- around the nation, we realize this Help Center is even more valuable than original expectations."

CSD's outreach partners in the DTV transition are the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) and the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), along with many other organizations. All three partners have noticed that the captioning issue is still one of the largest problems as a result of the DTV transition.

"The Hearing Loss Association of American has been receiving more and more contacts from consumers regarding television captioning," said Brenda Battat, HLAA executive director. "Whether it's the 90 year old woman who was told that she needed to purchase a new digital television to receive any captions at all, or the increased incidence of missing, garbled or disappearing captions, we have noticed a significant increase in complaints and queries. As the June 12 DTV transition approaches, we have every expectation we will receive both more complaints and more queries about captioning and the digital TV transition."

The unique accessibility of the Help Center makes it a critical resource for key populations. "The CSD DTV Help Center is the first of its kind; deaf and hard of hearing people have never had specific services like these before," said Bobbie Beth Scoggins, NAD president. "We are grateful to the FCC for extending this much-needed resource for our nation's deaf and hard of hearing consumers."

If you or anyone you know is still unprepared for the DTV transition, the Help Center can assist you today.

Until June 30, you can reach the Help Center in a variety of ways. Hours of operation are 7 a.m.-1 a.m., seven days a week. Phone numbers are 1-877-388-4968 (voice) and 1-877-889-4273 (TTY). Videophone contact number (both D-Link and Sorenson), Instant Message and e-mail contact info is all available at http://www.dtv.c-s-d.org.