(Washington, DC) – The DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) are joining the National Association of Broadcasters to educate DC’s seniors about the upcoming digital television conversion and to help them avoid scams.
“There’s a lot of confusion among District residents, especially seniors, about the conversion to digital television,” said Robert Harris, manager of DCRA’s Office of Consumer Protection. “We want to help the people who most count on free, over-the-air broadcasts to understand the change. That way, they don’t have to become scam victims.”
DCRA, DHCD, the National Association of Broadcasters, and the dTV Transition Coalition are hosting an event Thursday, March 27, 2008, 11 am to 12:30 pm, at Emory United Methodist Church, 6100 Georgia Avenue, NW. The event is free and open to the public.
The event, sponsored by The Emory Beacon of Light, Inc., will give residents information on vouchers they can use to buy set-top digital converter boxes; converter scam warning signs; and the technology behind the change.
Most broadcasters are required to stop broadcasting analog signals on February 17, 2009, Harris said. That will affect thousands of District consumers who use their analog TVs to watch free, over-the-air broadcasts. Those residents might be vulnerable to scams, Harris said. DCRA will post more information on dcra.dc.gov in the next few weeks.
The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs protects the health, safety, economic interests, and quality of life of residents, businesses, and visitors in the District of Columbia by issuing licenses and permits, conducting inspections, enforcing building, housing, and safety codes, regulating land use and development, and providing consumer education and advocacy services.