Posts tagged ‘Television’
Hundreds of Broadcasters Flock to Washington to Protect TV Viewers
This week, hundreds of broadcasters from across the country are in the nation’s capital to meet with their members of Congress.
This annual call on Congress serves as an opportunity to educate legislators on the issues that impact local stations and their communities.
With nearly 500 broadcasters descending on Capitol Hill, broadcasters are committed to doing everything within their power to ensure that viewers’ access to the news, emergency updates and entertainment they rely on each day is not jeopardized.
Ironically, this week a major snow storm is also hitting the D.C. area, serving as another reminder of the indispensable role local TV and radio stations play in times of weather emergency.
In addition to broadcasters’ lifeline role in providing important information to Americans, broadcasters are discussing the upcoming spectrum incentive auction process with their legislators. Broadcasters are stressing the need for the FCC to adhere to the intent of Congress and ensure that free, local television remains an indispensable service for the American people.
For information on what you can do to keep broadcast TV free and accessible for everyone to enjoy, click here.
Local Broadcasters Continue to Help with Northeast Relief Efforts after Hurricane Sandy
It has been over a month since Hurricane Sandy hit the Eastern seaboard but rebuilding efforts continue, and local broadcasters are doing everything they can to help their local communities and those devastated by the storm.
As Sandy approached, local TV and radio stations provided critical information about the storm path to inform citizens. When the hurricane bore down on the area, other forms of communication failed, but broadcasters were there to provide a lifeline to residents. Now, it is time to rebuild, and once again local stations are pitching in to return normalcy to the area. From fundraisers to food drives, stations are asking their listeners and viewers to donate nonperishable items, clothing and batteries to help their neighbors in need.
To read about their efforts, click here.
More Choice for Free – What’s Not to Like?
Now more than ever, people are saying goodbye to their expensive subscription TV service (like cable and satellite) and opting to use new, TV antennas to get dozens of channels, for free. These aren’t your father’s “rabbit ears” either. 
These new antennas are sleek and powerful, so put away the tin foil – you won’t need it to get your local news and favorite broadcast network shows, like Nashville, X Factor, Parks and Recreation and The Good Wife!
If you’re considering joining the millions of Americans who are enjoying the best of broadcast television without a monthly fee, there are a few simple steps you will need to take, as outlined on AntennaWeb.org. This site helps you select the best antenna for your needs.
- The first thing the site will ask you for is your zip code. Your zip code helps calculate the signal strength and location of all the broadcast stations in your area to determine the type of antenna you need.
- AntennaWeb.org will also ask you for your street address. This information is used to determine whether there are terrain features, nearby trees or tall structures that could affect your television reception.
- The last question the site will ask you is where you want to mount your new antenna. This will also determine which antenna will work best for you. The higher you mount your antenna, the better it works (which means even more crystal clear channels for you!)
Using an antenna to get your favorite shows for free may sound retro, but is actually part of the exciting future of broadcast television. With an antenna, viewers are able to enjoy the crystal clear pictures of digital television (often with better picture quality than subscription service delivers), as well as a multitude of subchannels that bring the best of hyperlocal content, such as weather updates, high school sports and foreign language programming, to viewers for free. Some of these additional local channels may not be available on cable or satellite – at any price.
The future of TV is bright, and there are more free broadcast TV services under development today that your same antenna will deliver to your home soon – so stay tuned!
Viewers Choose Broadcast During Election 2012
This fall, Americans not only chose the 44th president of the United States – they also chose broadcasters as their go-to resource for election information. America’s broadcasters played a vital role in the 2012 election, providing viewers with information on candidates and what they could expect at the voting booths, proving the importance of broadcast television in their communities.
From the political conventions to the debates to coverage of the returns on election night, television viewers could watch the road to the White House for free thanks to over-the-air television. More than 37 million Americans turned to broadcast to watch the results of the 2012 presidential election unfold. And in every local community, viewers turned to their favorite stations to get the results of races closer to home, such as board of education seats and congressional members.
In addition to providing live coverage of these important events, many broadcasters took to social media as another way to connect with their viewers. Popular social media channels Facebook and Twitter allowed broadcasters to interact with viewers, contributing to the 31 million tweets sent throughout the day.
No doubt, broadcasters take their commitment to civic responsibility seriously, and viewers know they can count on their local stations to provide the information they need to cast their ballots on Election Day.
Even with numerous choices in today’s digital age, more Americans trust their local TV stations to bring them the information they need, when and where they want it. That’s the future of TV.
Broadcasters Work Nonstop as First Informers to Serve Their Local Communities During Hurricane Sandy
Earlier this week, millions of people turned to broadcast radio and television to get up-to-the minute information on Hurricane Sandy. TV stations up and down the East Coast worked around the clock to ensure their communities had the information they needed to prepare for the storm as well as track the storm to know when it would hit their area.
Stations began providing wall to wall coverage starting at 4 a.m. on Monday. WUSA Washington News Director Fred D’Ambrosi led his news crew, preparing them to be on air for the next several days, ensuring viewers had the lifesaving information they needed. “Everybody left home on Saturday prepared to be gone for five to seven days,” said WBAL Baltimore’s News Director Michele Butt. “You don’t stop covering the storm just because the sun comes out.”
Stations ran non-stop storm tracking radar images and news tickers with emergency information and weather updates, with many reporters pulling 12-hour shifts. Stations also utilized text alerts, social media outlets and updates on their website and mobile apps to provide viewers with critical information.
Many stations lost power during the storm and relied on generators to provide coverage, in addition to relying on satellite, microwave trucks and mobile backpacks to submit stories.
Covering the storm was truly a team effort and affiliate stations joined together to share resources and content. Some affiliates brought in employees from other stations not affected by the storm, including Cincinnati, Tulsa and Phoenix to relieve teams working long hours.
“I salute the remarkable work of our radio and TV station colleagues now putting themselves in harm’s way to keep millions of people safe and informed on the devastation of this deadly storm,” NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith said. “As FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate noted this weekend, in times of emergency there is no more reliable source of information than that coming from local broadcasters. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those in the path of Hurricane Sandy.”
Watch your local news and visit redcross.org to learn how you can help those affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Television at its Best: The 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Air on Sunday!
This Sunday, September 23, millions of Americans will be watching broadcast television to see which of their favorite TV actors take home the statues at the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Before you watch the ceremony on Sunday, take a deeper look at the award show’s history.
The Emmy Awards have honored the best in television since 1949. Many of the best broadcast shows have received critical acclaim – from M*A*S*H to Modern Family. It might surprise you to learn that even with the hundreds of TV channels available in some homes, shows on broadcast TV continue to be the most popular by far. On any given week, more than 90 of the top 100 primetime shows can be found on broadcast channels (your local channels and major networks).
While waiting to see who claims top honors, have you ever wondered where the iconic statuette of Emmy comes from? The winged woman holding an atom has remained the same since the award ceremony’s inception. Academy members went through a total of 47 proposals before selecting the statuette design from television engineer Louis McManus, which he modeled after his wife. The wings on the statuette represent the must of art while the atom represents the electron of science, successfully representing The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which oversees the Emmy’s.
It was suggested the award be named “Immy” after the term used for the early image orthicon camera. “Immy” was later changed to “Emmy” to better fit the female statuette.
The R.S. Owens company in Chicago is responsible for creating almost 400 statuettes for the primetime Emmys. While the number of categories has changed slightly over the years, the Academy makes sure to order extra statuettes in the event of multiple winners. The extra statuettes are stored until they can be used during the following year’s ceremony. Each Primetime Emmy statuette weighs six pounds, 12 and a half ounces and is made of copper, nickel, silver and gold. It takes five and a half hours to make one statuette, and those making them wear white gloves while handling to prevent fingerprints.
Sesame Street has taken home more of these statuettes than any other show – 108 Daytime Emmys; seven Primetime Emmys; and one Lifetime Achievement Award. With 37 statuettes, Frasier has won the most Primetime Emmys in the award show’s history.
From Big Bird to Fraiser, iconic characters leave an indelible impression long after the show is over. Will you be watching the Emmy’s on Sunday? Which broadcast TV show are you rooting for?
The 2012 Olympics Games Gets a Gold Medal in Broadcast TV Viewership!
Another Olympics has come and gone, but the 2012 Olympic Games in London holds a special place among broadcast TV viewers. The 2012 games scored the highest prime-time broadcast ratings for summer games held outside of the USA since the 1976 games in Montreal, and up 12 percent from the Beijing games in 2008.
From Michael Phelps to the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, millions of viewers tuned in to their televisions each night to cheer on their favorite athletes as they fought for the gold. An average of 31.5 million Americans per night cheered on Michael Phelps from their couches as he became the most decorated Olympian of all time, ending his Olympic career with 22 medals and Gabby Douglas go gold as the first African American gymnast to win the all-around .
While most people watched the game on their televisions, social media also played a large role, confirming that Americans enjoy amplifying their TV experience and sharing their thoughts with friends as they watch.
The London games saw a significant increase in Facebook and Twitter presence, connecting Olympics fans across the globe with their favorite athletes and other fans. Viewer favorites Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt were the athletes with the largest jump in both followers on Facebook and Twitter: Phelps added one million Twitter followers at the games, bringing him to 1.2 million followers and 800,000 Facebook fans; and Bolt added 725,000 followers, bringing his total Twitter followers to 1.36 million and adding 700,000 Facebook fans.
Another big change for the 2012 games was digital presence. In addition to viewing the games on broadcast TV, viewers had the option of live streaming the events. While a daily average of 8.56 million Americans took advantage of this new coverage from broadcast TV (up 133 percent from the Beijing games), the majority still turned to broadcast TV to watch their favorites bring home the gold.
The record-breaking viewership of the Olympic Games is another example of television’s power to connect communities, nations and individuals across the globe. And airing the games on broadcast TV – available to everyone, not just those with cable or satellite – meant all Americans had the opportunity to share in the patriotism of watching their favorite athletes bring home the gold for Team USA!
If you’re feeling the loss of the excitement of the Olympics today, just remember the 2014 Winter Olympic Games will be here before in 542 days! And viewers know that they can turn to their broadcast TV to experience the memorable moments yet to come.
What was your favorite part of the Olympics? When and where did you watch? Tell us in the comments!
Mobile TV is here!
Samsung and MetroPCS unveil new smartphone with live, local TV!
An exciting development in the future of TV occurred last week when wireless carrier MetroPCS and Samsung Mobile unveiled the new Samsung Galaxy S® LightrayTM 4G*. This Android™ smartphone is the first in the U.S. to offer live, local broadcast television with Dyle™ mobile TV.
Now consumers can stay informed and entertained on the go with the same local and national sports, news and entertainment programming on your mobile phones as you receive on your TV at home. This is live TV, not streaming. And because it uses the TV airwaves, not the Internet, it does not count against your data cap. Also, unlike streaming video over the Internet, an unlimited number of viewers can watch on their smartphones at the same time without buffering.
This service is currently available in 35 markets, reaching over 55 percent of the US population. Additional markets and stations will be added in the future.
Mobile TV can be used anywhere that the TV spectrum can reach, no need for an Internet connection or WiFi access. So where will you watch mobile TV? On your commute to work? Waiting to pick the kids up from school? At the stadium during the big game? Tell us in the comments below!
Broadcasters’ work to educate the electorate this political season
When you hear “political contributions” you probably think of money given to candidates. But broadcasters’ view their political contributions differently—as a way to serve the voters in their communities during an election year by educating them with debates, information and more.
Local broadcasters remain the number-one source of local news, giving stations a key role in increasing civic engagement in the electoral process.
Here are just a few examples of local broadcasters’ efforts to educate and engage voters before the upcoming elections:
- In Hawaii, KHNL-TV and KGMB-TV Honolulu televised a mayoral debate. Candidates debated a variety of issues, and current mayor Peter Carlisle also fielded questions and comments related to his job performance over the past term.
- Voters in Myrtle Beach, S.C., are in a brand-new congressional district in 2012 and have a number of candidates from both political parties to learn about. In June, stations aired debates between the Republican candidates one night and the Democrat candidates another evening. This October, WBTW-TV will air a third debate with the nominees from both parties.
- Of course the biggest election this November is the presidential election. NBC News is partnering with Telemundo to cover the presidential race. “Decision 2012″ will include joint monthly polls, coverage of the campaigns and conventions, and events focused on the role of the Hispanic vote, estimated at 22 million eligible voters. The partnership provides Telemundo access to NBC News’ political content and gives NBC News the benefit of Telemundo’s expertise in the Hispanic community.
And, like all the over-the-air programming broadcasters already offer, all of this election information is provided free to the viewer. Because of broadcasters’ efforts, voters go to the polls more informed about the issues and candidates, which contributes to a stronger democracy.
Latest Mobile TV Devices Will Bring Your Favorite Content to You Anywhere, Anytime
Wouldn’t it be nice to take your favorite morning show with you on the commute to work – not missing a minute of the breaking news or local weather?
With more than 120 stations across the country broadcasting mobile television signals, the future of TV is here – and it’s mobile. With numerous local broadcast stations transmitting mobile TV signals, and more consumer devices and adapters coming to the market, soon it will be very easy for consumers to get free mobile broadcast television on their laptops, tablets and smartphones. Best of all, the service does not require a data plan or hefty mobile data charges, because the signal is sent for free over-the-air.
Check out our new video that features mobile television providers Dyle mobile TV and the Mobile 500 Alliance demonstrating the devices and adapters built by manufacturers like Samsung and Belkin that run their mobile TV services. Watch the video below to see how you can get your local news, sports, weather, entertainment and lifesaving emergency information anywhere, anytime:
Mobile DTV from NAB Studio on Vimeo.
