Nielsen Media Research has issued to its clients a nine-page letter spelling out its plan for the transition to digital-only television broadcasting that goes into effect on Feb. 17, 2009, assuring that “most homes” in its audience ratings sample with TV sets not capable of receiving digital signals will take steps to ensure that they continue to receive TV signals after that date.According to Nielsen, 11.3 percent of the TV sets in its panels are “unready” to receive digital broadcast signals. Nielsen is requesting that people in the sample with those sets replace them with new sets equipped with digital tuners that will enable them to get over-the-air reception of digital broadcast signals. Or that those people subscribe to cable, so their analog signals can be converted to digital. Or that they purchase and connect their unready sets to government-subsidized, set-top converter boxes that will convert their current signals.
Nielsen said its field staff is planning to make a "significant” number of visits to sample households to hook up meters to any new equipment that is purchased. Nielsen has also set a timetable for people in the sample with unready sets to take steps to transition to digital reception.
Nielsen said that none of its field representatives will be allowed to take vacations in January or February of 2009, so that the full staff can concentrate on making sure the conversion goes according to plan.
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