The First Amendment is the cornerstone for the right to innovate and becoming increasingly important as the U.S. approaches the end of analog broadcasts, Consumer Electronics Association President and CEO Gary Shapiro said in a speech yesterday before the Media Institute in Washington, D.C. Shapiro discussed recent successes in the transition to digital television (DTV) and addressed potential challenges and attempts to thwart innovation.
“We are doing well. By the end of 2007, more than 50 percent of American households owned a digital television,” Shapiro says. “And consumers are increasingly aware of the transition and what, if anything, they need to do in order to continue enjoying free, over-the-air television.”
Citing successful partnerships with NAB and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, Shapiro noted, “Our industry and government partnerships on consumer education are successful. We all joined together to found the DTV Transition Coalition which has brought together more than 200 diverse groups, all with the mission to educate consumers.”
For more information, visit www.ce.org.
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