AARP Launches Toll-Free Help Line to Aid Consumers During DTV Transition

AARP Launches Toll-Free Help Line to Aid Consumers During DTV Transition

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Many Americans woke today to find that some of their TV stations are no longer available as they undergo the switch from analogue to digital signals. AARP continues to educate older Americans and their families about the steps they must take to prepare for the transition, and is now operating a national DTV call center individuals may call for personal assistance.

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"AARP is committed to providing relevant and important information to our members and their families to make this transition as easy and affordable as possible," said Kevin Donnellan, Chief Communications Officer at AARP. "Through a contract from the Federal Communications Commission, we are able to provide trained operators, implement a toll-free number and run a center that individuals can call for information and help as they prepare for the transition in their homes."

Many older Americans depend on television for critical news and safety information, and may face significant challenges when television signals become exclusively digital. In conjunction with an ongoing education campaign, AARP has established a toll-free phone number consumers can call.

   --  Individuals can call 1-877-698-8068 to speak with a trained operator       who can answer their DTV questions.   --  Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00       p.m. EST.   --  Spanish-language operators are available as well.   --  The national DTV call center will be in operation through March 31,       2009.   

"We look forward to helping as many consumers as possible in the transition process," said Donnellan.

For more information about AARP and the DTV transition please visit: www.aarp.org/dtv.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 34.5 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's 40 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Source: AARP

CONTACT: Alejandra Owens of AARP, +1-202-434-2560, asowens@aarp.org

Web Site: http://www.aarp.org/

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Profile: International Entertainment