Demos to prepare Valley residents for all-digital television conversion

Goodwill and Kearney Electric Communications will help TV viewers gear up for the conversion to all-digital television

PHOENIX – Several Goodwill of Central Arizona retail stores will serve as demonstration sites from May 29 to June 16 to help Arizonans with the nationwide transition to digital broadcast television.

The nationwide transition to digital broadcast television, which will be completed on June 12, 2009, will require full-power television stations to broadcast in digital only. The digital TV (DTV) transition, authorized by the U.S. Congress, will require television viewers to either switch to a digital television or use a converter box to continue watching broadcasts on analog sets.

Kearney Electric Communications will conduct the demonstrations at local Goodwill stores to show television viewers how to set up the converter box and provide information on how to obtain a $40 coupon from the federal government toward the purchase of a converter box.

“We are pleased to host Kearny Electric Communications as they help individuals prepare for the transition to digital broadcast,” said Jackie Halleen, Vice President of Retail Operations for Goodwill of Central Arizona. “The demonstrations will thoroughly explain how to prepare for the June 12 deadline.”

The first of these demonstrations will be held on May 29 from 12-8 PM at the Goodwill store located at 12751 W. Bell Road, Surprise, AZ 85374.  A complete schedule and store list can be found at www.goodwillaz.org/news/goodwillaz-dtvclinics.

Those who wish to get rid of their unwanted analog television rather than utilize a converter box may donate their television(s) to any Goodwill retail store and donation drop-off location for proper recycling.

For more information about the DTV transition, go to http://www.dtv.gov/ or contact the FCC by e-mailing dtvinfo@fcc.gov; calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) or by TTY at 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322).

Submitted on behalf of Goodwill of Central Arizona
With more than 60 years of serving central Arizona’s communities, Goodwill of Central Arizona is one of the oldest and largest nonprofit agencies in Arizona. Our Commitment is to Put People to Work throughout Arizona by providing job training and employment services to those with vocational disadvantages that can include physical and emotional barriers, welfare dependency, illiteracy and age. In 2008, we served almost 23,000 youth and adults on their quest toward self-sufficiency and secured more than 5,100 employment opportunities. For more information on Goodwill of Central Arizona, visit http://www.goodwillaz.org/.

Technorati Tags: DTV, Goodwill of Central Arizona, Kearney Electric Communications