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Digital TV Change Means Big Bucks

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By RICHARD MULLINS

rmullins@tampatrib.com

Published: February 19, 2009

Amid hoopla and frustration over the switch to digital television, one thing is for sure. Some companies are making out quite well.

Tuesday, about half the TV stations in the Tampa area unplugged their analog broadcasts and went all-digital. By June, remaining stations plan to go all-digital as well.

The bump in business could continue. Nielsen says more than 59,000 local households, as of Feb. 15, didn't have a TV with a converter box or cable or satellite service.

Seeing new business are:

Pay TV Companies

Cable and satellite TV companies took the occasion of the DTV switchover to launch heavy marketing campaigns.

Bright House promoted a new $9.99 per month basic cable TV package. So far, "several thousand" customers in the Tampa area have signed up, said spokesman Joe Durkin. "A nice little bump."

Verizon officials say they marketed a similar budget plan but that most customers tend to choose the company's higher-tier packages.

Box Sellers

Americans have applied for 28.2 million government coupons to buy a digital TV converter box. So far, 23.4 million coupons have been processed - meaning people went to stores and used them.

Most boxes cost $40 to $70, meaning more than $1 billion in potential revenue.

TV Recyclers

Pinellas County received more than 1,100 old TVs during the first part of February, more than twice the number collected in February 2008. Through December, the county could collect 13,000 old TVs, say officials with Pinellas County solid waste facilities.

Hillsborough County has seen a similar rush.

That means business for TV recyclers, who can get several dollars a pound to process old electronics.

Reporter Richard Mullins can be reached at (813) 259-7919.

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