Retirement Living TV Creates First National Discussion on Digital Conversion

Retirement Living TV Creates First National Discussion on Digital Conversion

'Countdown to Conversion' Show Special Discusses What Will Happen When Televisions Go Dark in 2009

COLUMBIA, Md., May 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Retirement Living TV, the first cable network dedicated to people age 55 and over, announced today that it will televise "Countdown to Conversion," the first special created to talk about the digital television transition taking place on February 17, 2009. On this date, all televisions will switch over to a digital format, causing all analog television sets to "go dark." The show will premiere on Tuesday, May 29 at 3 p.m. and again on Wednesday, May 30 at 9 a.m.

Retirement Living TV host John Palmer, a former White House correspondent and anchor for NBC News, moderated the informal discussion that included Kyle McSlarrow, President & CEO, National Cable Television Association (NCTA); John M. R. Kneuer, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, U.S. Department of Commerce; Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate; John Erickson, Chairman and CEO, Erickson Retirement Communities and Founder and CEO, Retirement Living TV; Ross Miller, Nevada Secretary of State; and Jonathan Collegio, Vice President, Digital Television Transition, National Association of Broadcasters (NAB).

"By aligning with key players in the cable industry like NCTA's Kyle McSlarrow and the FCC's Deborah Taylor Tate to create Countdown to Conversion, Retirement Living TV has created a unified voice that can educate individuals over 55 about the digital transition," said John Erickson, Founder and CEO of Retirement Living TV. "Retirement Living TV recognizes that there is a crucial need for this information, and Countdown to Conversion caters to that need."

Recent congressional action mandates that all broadcasters begin delivering their signals exclusively in a digital format after February 17, 2009. It is expected that more than 19 million households will have to purchase new TVs, converters, or subscribe to cable or satellite service to watch television after that date. To ease the transition for consumers, the U.S. Department of Commerce will offer $40 coupons off the price of converters beginning in January 1, 2008. Media and cable industry experts expect seniors to be greatly affected by the digital television transition. Retirement Living TV is the first network to publicly address the digital transition and its affect on subscribers, operators, and affiliates.

"This is one of the first times the digital transition has been discussed with all of the major players from the cable and broadcast industries as well as the FCC," said Retirement Living TV President Brad Knight. "We have started the conversation about the digital transition, and from this show expect to increase awareness about the impending change."

About Retirement Living TV

Retirement Living TV, a cable network dedicated to informing, involving, and inspiring people aged 55 and over, was launched in September 2006. Retirement Living TV is comprised of shows covering topics including health, lifestyle, finance, and politics. The Retirement Living TV network roots are in Erickson Retirement Communities, the National Institutes of Health, non-profit research foundations, the Erickson School of Aging Studies at University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), and leading gerontologists across the country. RLTV is committed to changing the perception on aging, and strives to develop innovative and entertaining television for a mature viewing audience. For more information, visit http://www.rl.tv/.

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Source: Retirement Living TV

CONTACT: Erica Chouinard of Bob Gold & Associates, +1-310-784-1040,
erica@bobgoldpr.com, for Retirement Living TV

Web site: http://www.rl.tv/

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Profile: International Entertainment