CFR

76.1630—MVPD digital television transition notices.

(a) Multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) shall provide subscribers with notices about the transition for over-the-air full power broadcasting from analog to digital service (the “DTV Transition”) in the monthly bills or bill notices received by subscribers beginning April 1, 2009 and concluding on June 30, 2009.

(b) The notice must be provided as part of an information section on the bill or bill notice itself or on a secondary document mailed with the bill or bill notice, in the same language or languages as the bill or bill notice. These notices must:

(1) Be in clear and conspicuous print;

(2) Convey at least the following information about the DTV transition:

(i) The nationwide switch to digital television broadcasting will be complete on June 12, 2009, but your local television stations may switch sooner. After the switch, analog-only television sets that receive TV programming through an antenna will need a converter box to continue to receive over-the-air TV. Watch your local stations to find out when they will turn off their analog signal and switch to digital-only broadcasting. Analog-only TVs should continue to work as before to receive low power, Class A or translator television stations and with cable and satellite TV services, gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players, and similar products.

(ii) Information about the DTV transition is available from your local television stations, http://www.DTV.gov, 1-888-CALL-FCC (TTY 1-888-TELL-FCC), or this MVPD at [telephone number and Web site if available], and from http://www.dtv2009.gov or 1-888-DTV-2009 (TTY 1-877-530-2634) for information about subsidized coupons for digital-to-analog converter boxes;

(3) And explain clearly what effect, if any, the DTV Transition will have on the subscriber's access to MVPD service. It must also note that analog sets not connected to an MVPD service may need additional equipment (i.e., converter box) or may have to be replaced.

(c) To the extent that a given customer does not receive paper versions of either a bill or a notice of billing, that customer must be provided with equivalent monthly notices in whatever medium they receive information about their monthly bill.

[73 FR 15451, Mar. 24, 2008, as amended at 74 FR 8879, Feb. 27, 2009]

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