By John B. Manbeck
Special to Brooklyn Eagle

Looking around Room 309 at the 30 Medgar Evers students, Saul Shapiro asked for definitions of analog and digital television. Satisfied with the several responses, he continued pressing for more answers.

“Looking at a house, how can you tell the residents may be burdened with an analog or VHF TV set?�

Shapiro addressed a roomful of what he called DTVolunteer (digital television) students who will be visiting neighborhood homes and senior centers to prepare the public for the federally-mandated digital conversion of television this coming June.

“Noticing an old-fashioned roof antenna on the chimney,� was the answer.

“Yes,� Shapiro continued, “the law originally ordered manufacturers and stations to begin their digital conversions in February. The sets have been ready since 1990. All TVs had to have an internal digital box after March 2007. But Congress decided that the public was not ready.�

In reality, Congress was not prepared to implement its own law, so they pushed it back from February to June. Unfortunately, this caused additional cost for stations because they had to broadcast two signals for five additional months.

That is the reason two classes of students gathered in an ancillary building of Medgar Evers College on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn for a two-hour orientation in the afternoon of April 23. Most were Public Administration students of Professor Joan Parrott-Fonseca but other students and faculty joined in the orientation session.

Shapiro, the president of Metropolitan Television Alliance (MTVA), had received a grant to orient owners of the older analog sets on the digital conversion. When, however, the grant ran out in February, he maintained his association with Channel 13 PBS continuing to conduct the sessions for community activists.

Dan Allen, an intern working at Channel 13/21 and a graduate of CUNY’s Macauley Honors College, arranged the meeting between the mentor and the potential canvassers.

Each participant received an orientation folder with a training packet and a 20 minute DVD presenting several case studies. Allen played the disk prepared by PBS.

“A question to ask when canvassing,� the actor on the screen said, “is ‘Do you have a rabbit ears antenna?’ If they do, they probably have analog. They can still use rabbit ears but they must buy a new model that picks up digital signals.�

Shapiro showed two different models.

The video indicated close-ups of plugs and pointed out that TV viewers would only receive high definition digital broadcasts if they owned a high definition set. But without the conversion box, they will receive no signal after June. That is why they need assistance from the volunteers.

He stressed that people who bought sets after March 2007 are OK; people who have cable or Direct TV are also set. Once a new digital antenna is attached, the set auto scans for digital signals. The conversion does not affect computers, cd/dvd players or games, Shapiro pointed out.

A rebate card had been sent out by the government which is worth $20 toward purchase of a converter box. Since most conversions have been finished, the remaining focus groups are the 9 percent who were not paying attention and 6 percent who are too lazy, said Shapiro.

Because of the additional cost, Channel 13 will not convert their signal until the June deadline date. But then viewers will receive a stronger signal with clearer pictures and no interference.

Parrott-Fonseca said the students would work beyond the academic semester, into the summer months helping neighbors hook up their converter boxes. One enthusiastic student was Marie Antoine-Pierre, president of the student government, who pointed out that the volunteers could address seniors in several languages including Spanish, French and Russian.

At the end of the session, Allen distributed Channel 13/21 T-shirts and the professor reminded them each volunteer would receive a personal certificate and credit for the work.

The orientation was taped by Medgar Evers TV for possible telecast on BCAT or NYC-TV.

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