The FCC today released an order requiring TV stations to air PSAs, crawls and other notices that educate the public about the DTV transition and the end of analog TV service next February.

“One of the Commission’s top priorities is to do everything in its power to facilitate a successful DTV transition,” said FCC Chairman Kevin Martin in a prepared statement.

“Ensuring that no Americans are left in the dark after February 17, 2009, is an enormous undertaking.”

By giving broadcasters options on how they educate the public, the order reflects a compromise between the FCC and Hill Democrats and broadcasters.

The NAB Executive VP Dennis Wharton lauded the FCC action, even though the NAB had hoped the FCC would settle for the NAB's purely voluntary efforts.

"Through public service announcements, TV crawls,news programs and innovative marketing techniques, broadcasters are committedto presenting more than $1 billion in messaging that is educational, accurateand actionable," Wharton said.

John Dingell, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who had pressed for tough educational mandates, applauded "Martin for giving broadcasters some flexibility to determine how best to educate their viewers about the transition.”

The order allows TV stations to choose among three options requiring different mixes of on-air notices.

Option 2 is based on a proposal from the National Association of Broadcasters.

Option 3, based on a proposal by the American Public Television Stations, is available only to noncommercial stations.

Under all options, stations must electronically submit reports on their efforts to the FCC each quarter and place the reports in their public file and on their Web sites, if they already have sites.

The three options:

Option 1: A station must air one PSA and one crawl in each six-hour quarter of each day. The load increases to two PSAs and crawls per quarter day on April 1, 2008, and to three of each on Oct. 1, 2008.

The FCC defines its four quarter-days as 6:01 a.m. to noon., 12:01 p.m. to 6 p.m., 6:01 p.m. to midnight, and 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m.

The PSAs must be at least 15 seconds, include closed captions and, at a minimum, provide the following information:

• What a viewer needs to do to continue watching the station, whether they are an OTA viewer or receive broadcast signals via their cable or satellite, and
  
  
• Where appropriate, specific details about the station’s transition: for example, shifts in service area, channel numbering changes, the addition of multicast and/or high-definition channels, timing.

“Stations are required to air PSAs or crawls at various times in any given day part, and we expressly require that at least one PSA and one crawl per day be run during primetime hours,” the FCC said.

Option 2: A station must air an average of 16 PSAs and an average of 16 crawls, snipes or tickers per week between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m.

Over the course of each calendar quarter, one-fourth of all PSAs and crawls, snipes or tickers must air between 6 p.m. and 11:35 p.m., Eastern and Pacific time, and between 5 p.m. and 10:35 p.m., Central and Mountain.

The PSAs must be at least 30 seconds in length. However, a station may choose to air two PSAs of no less than 15 seconds in length in place of a single PSA of at least 30 seconds in length.

As in Option 1, the Option 2 PSAs must also be closed captioned.

“Stations are free to use PSAs produced in-house or provided by outside sources such as NAB or the networks,” the FCC said.

Option 2 also requires stations to air at least one 30-minute informational program on the transition between 8 a.m. and 11:35 p.m. prior to Feb. 17, 2009.

Beginning on Nov. 10, 2008, all stations must air a 100-day countdown notion at least once a day. The notice, showing how many days are left until the analog cut-off, must appear between five and 15 seconds.

Option 3 (for noncommercial stations only): A station must air 60 seconds per day of on-air consumer education, in variable timeslots, including at least 7.5 minutes per month between 6 p.m. and midnight.

Beginning May 1, 2008, this requirement doubles, and beginning Nov. 1, 2008, it increases again, to 180 seconds per day and 22.5 minutes per month.

PSAs must be closed-captioned.

Stations must also air a 30-minute informational program between 8 a.m. and 11:35 p.m. at least once prior to the analog cut-off.

The FCC order also imposes educational requirements on others involved in the DTV transition.

Cable and satellite operators must provide monthly notices about the DTV transition in their customer billing statements. 

Manufacturers of TV sets and related devices must provide notice to consumers of the transition’s impact on that equipment.

DTV.gov partners and winners of the 700 MHz spectrum auction must provide the FCC with regular updates on their consumer education efforts.