KTSF News Prepares its Chinese-Language Viewers for the Transition to Digital Television
America's Largest Asian-Language Broadcaster Airs Special 10-part DTV News Series
October 10, 2008 (San Francisco, Calif.) - In its on-going efforts to keep the Bay Area’s Chinese-speaking viewers informed about the transition from analog to digital TV on February 17, 2009, KTSF will air a 10-part news series on both their 7pm Cantonese and 10pm Mandarin-language newscasts.
The series will cover all aspects of the transition, from the overall benefit to consumers (enhanced video and audio quality; more programming choices) to determining whether it is necessary to purchase a converter box or to subscribe to cable or satellite service. Instructions on installing a converter box and recycling old analog television sets will also be covered.
A survey by KTSF, commissioned in 2006, found that 28% of the Chinese-speaking Bay Area households relied on over-the-air television signals. “The issues surrounding the transition are especially confusing for those who don’t use English as a primary language. This series will address all the options in their native language,“ said KTSF General Manager Michael Sherman.
Special news features will be scheduled as follows:
| Wednesday, October 8th | "What is DTV and why do we need the transition?" |
|---|---|
| Thursday, October 9th | "Who is at risk and what should you do to prepare for the transition?" |
| Friday, October 10th | "What is KTSF doing to prepare for the transition?" |
| Monday, October 13th | "How to obtain and redeem the digital converter box coupon." |
| Tuesday, October 14th | "What to do if you have an analog TV or a HD-Ready TV." |
| Wednesday, October 15th | "The definitions of the terms DTV, HDTV, EDTV and SDTV are explained." |
| Thursday, October 16th | "How to install the digital converter box." |
| Friday, October 17th | "The alternatives to installing a digital converter box including subscribing to cable or satellite." |
| Monday, October 20th | "How to recycle your old television set." |
| Tuesday, October 21st | "Consequences of not preparing for the transition (as well as a live simulated analog shut-off test)." |
All of the Chinese-language news segments will be available for video streaming on ktsf.com, as they are broadcast.
In addition to this news series, KTSF will air the 30-minute special “Countdown to DTV: Are U Ready?" on Saturday, October 25th at 4:00pm. The special, produced by the National Association of Broadcasters, outlines all aspects of the DTV conversion and will be broadcast in English with Chinese subtitles.
About KTSF Television
KTSF Television is the largest Asian-language broadcast station in the United States. Established in 1976, KTSF is an independent, full-power television station providing news and entertainment programming to over 2.75 million television households. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, KTSF broadcasts in 12 languages. KTSF is available over-the-air on channel 26 and on cable channel 8 on Comcast Cable throughout the Northern California market. DirecTV, Dish Network and AT&T U-Verse also carry KTSF. KTSF is the first Asian media outlet in the United States to offer Nielsen Media Research data to its clients. For more information, please visit www.ktsf.com.
Media Contact::
Lisa Yokota
KTSF
T.415.468.2626 x7345
lyokota@ktsftv.com
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