NAB: OFFER CONVERTERS IN GROCERY STORES

The National Association of Broadcasters today urged the NTIA to consider ways to allow grocery stores to sell coupon-eligible digital-to-analog converter boxes.

NAB President-CEO David K. Rehr sent a letter to the NTIA’S Meredith Attwell Baker stressing that allowing grocery stores, especially those in rural areas, to carry converter boxes would ensure more viewers have easy access to upgrade their television sets to digital.

He was concerned, he said, because while “many larger grocery stores may qualify under current procedures, I am concerned that many ubiquitous grocery store chains do not. 

“Particularly in rural areas,” Rehr continued, “we need to make certain that stores convenient to all households will be able to participate in the converter box coupon program. In areas where there might not be a large consumer electronics outlet, there will certainly be grocery stores. I believe that an accommodation should be made for grocery stores, and that at a minimum information on NTIA's program and its waiver criteria should be made available to stores, especially those in rural areas.”