Steve McGowan, Senior Vice President, Insights and Client Research, The Nielsen Company, discussed the impact of the digital television transition on viewers, broadcasters, and the TV industry overall on Bloomberg’s “Taking Stock.”
Listen to the clip here.
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In Nielsen’s final update before the June 12 deadline, 2.8 million American households, or 2.5% of the television market, are completely unready for the transition to digital television. Younger, African American and Hispanic homes are disproportionately unready, while the elderly are the most ready.

% OF HOMES COMPLETELY UNREADY FOR DIGITAL TRANSITION

DATE
Total
White
African
American
Hispanic
Asian
Under 35
Over 55

June 7, 2009
2.5
1.9
5.1
4.3
3.1
4.6
1.3

May 25, 2009
2.7
2.1
5.4
4.7
3.2
5.0
1.5

May 10, 2009
2.9
2.3
5.7
4.9
3.4
5.4
1.6

Apr 26, 2009
3.1
2.4
5.9
5.0
4.1
5.7
1.7

Apr 12, 2009
3.2
2.5
5.9
5.4
4.3
5.9
1.7

Mar 29, 2009
3.4
2.7
6.2
5.6
4.4
6.3
1.8

Mar 15, 2009
3.6
2.9
6.6
6.1
4.4
6.5
2.0

Mar 1, 2008
3.9
3.2
6.7
6.5
4.5
7.2
2.2

Feb 15, 2009
4.4
3.6
7.5
7.4
5.1
8.1
2.6

Feb 1, 2009
5.1
4.1
8.7
8.5
6.3
8.6
3.2

Jan 18, 2009
5.7
4.6
9.9
9.7
6.9
8.8
4.0

Dec 21, 2008
6.8
5.6
10.8
11.5
8.1
9.9
5.2

source: The Nielsen Company

“Since February, …

Since mid-May an additional 200,000 U.S. homes prepared their homes for the June 12 transition to digital television, leaving roughly 3.1 million homes (or 2.7%) unready for the switch. While these new figures show an improvement in the level of preparedness among African American and Hispanic households, but both groups remain less ready than the national average.
For details on a market-by-market breakdown of DTV readiness, read the complete media release.

% OF HOMES COMPLETELY UNREADY FOR DIGITAL TRANSITION

DATE
Total
White
African
American
Hispanic
Asian
Under 35
Over 55

May 25, 2009
2.7
2.1
5.4
4.7
3.2
5.0
1.5

May 10, …

3.3 million or 2.9% of U.S. TV households remain completely unready for the transition to all digital
broadcast that will take place on June 12, 2009. That is an improvement more than 200,000
households in two weeks with just over four weeks until the transition.

Read Nielsen’s complete media release

With seven weeks remaining until the transition to digital television, 3.5 million or 3.1% of U.S. TV households remain completely unready for the June 12 switch according to Nielsen.  The figure is an improvement of more than 100,000 households in the two weeks since the last update. Hispanic households showed the largest percentage improvement, moving from 5.4% unready down to 5%.

% OF HOMES COMPLETELY UNREADY FOR DIGITAL TRANSITION

DATE
Total
White
African
American
Hispanic
Asian
Under 35
Over 55

Apr 26, 2009
3.1
2.4
5.9
5.0
4.1
5.7
1.7

Apr 12, 2009
3.2
2.5
5.9
5.4
4.3
5.9
1.7

Mar 29, 2009
3.4
2.7
6.2
5.6
4.4
6.3
1.8

Mar 15, 2009
3.6
2.9
6.6
6.1
4.4
6.5
2.0

Mar 1, 2008
3.9
3.2
6.7
6.5
4.5
7.2
2.2

Feb 15, 2009
4.4
3.6
7.5
7.4
5.1
8.1
2.6

Feb …

3.6 million or 3.2% of U.S. TV households remain completely unready for the transition to all digital broadcast that will take place on June 12, 2009. That is an improvement more than 200,000 households in two weeks with just nine weeks until the transition.

% OF HOMES COMPLETELY UNREADY FOR DIGITAL TRANSITION

DATE
Total
White
African
American
Hispanic
Asian
Under 35
Over 55

Apr 12, 2009
3.2
2.5
5.9
5.4
4.3
5.9
1.7

Mar 29, 2009
3.4
2.7
6.2
5.6
4.4
6.3
1.8

Mar 15, 2009
3.6
2.9
6.6
6.1
4.4
6.5
2.0

Mar 1, 2008
3.9
3.2
6.7
6.5
4.5
7.2
2.2

Feb 15, 2009
4.4
3.6
7.5
7.4
5.1
8.1
2.6

Feb 1, 2009
5.1
4.1
8.7
8.5
6.3
8.6
3.2

Jan 18, 2009
5.7
4.6
9.9
9.7
6.9
8.8
4.0

Dec 21, 2008
6.8
5.6
10.8
11.5
8.1
9.9
5.2

source: The Nielsen Company

For details on a market-by-market breakdown of DTV readiness, read the …

3.8 million or 3.4% of U.S. TV households remain completely unready for the transition to all digital broadcast that will take place on June 12, 2009. That is an improvement more than 260,000 households in just two weeks. An update from the previous two weeks in March showed roughly 350,000 homes readying for the transition.

% OF HOMES COMPLETELY UNREADY FOR DIGITAL TRANSITION

DATE
Total
White
African
American
Hispanic
Asian
Under 35
Over 55

Mar 29, 2009
3.4
2.7
6.2
5.6
4.4
6.3
1.8

Mar 15, 2009
3.6
2.9
6.6
6.1
4.4
6.5
2.0

Mar 1, 2008
3.9
3.2
6.7
6.5
4.5
7.2
2.2

Feb 15, 2009
4.4
3.6
7.5
7.4
5.1
8.1
2.6

Feb 1, 2009
5.1
4.1
8.7
8.5
6.3
8.6
3.2

Jan 18, 2009
5.7
4.6
9.9
9.7
6.9
8.8
4.0

Dec 21, 2008
6.8
5.6
10.8
11.5
8.1
9.9
5.2

source: The Nielsen Company

Among the …

More U.S. homes have prepared themselves for the Digital TV transition according to an update from The Nielsen Company. As of March 15, only 3.6 percent of all TV homes remain unready for the June transition to all-digital broadcasting compared to slightly less than 4% at the start of the month. Homes where the head of household is 35 or under showed the most notable demographic improvement, improving from 7.2% unready to 6.5%. This leaves roughly 4.1 million homes unprepared for DTV, an improvement of nearly 350,000 in the …

Since mid-February (the original date for the DTV switch) more than a half-million homes have prepared themselves for the Digital TV transition according to an update from The Nielsen Company.  As of March 1, 3.9 percent of all TV homes remain unready for the upcoming transition to all-digital broadcasting and would be unable to receive any television programming at all if the transition occurred today. Congress has set June 12 as the new date for the nationwide transition to DTV.

More than 5 million U.S. households – or 4.4 percent of all homes — are not ready for the upcoming transition to all-digital broadcasting and would be unable to receive any television programming at all if the transition occurred today, The Nielsen Company reported today.  This is an improvement of more than 800,000 homes since Nielsen reported readiness status at the beginning of February.
Percentage of Households that Are Completely Unready For the Digital Transition

Preparedness as of:
Overall
White
African-American
Hispanic
Asian
Under Age 35
Over Age 55

Feb. 15, 2009
4.4
3.6
7.5
7.4
5.1
8.1
2.6

Feb. 1, 2009
5.1
4.1
8.7
8.5
6.3
8.6
3.2

Jan. 18, 2009
5.7
4.6
9.9
9.7
6.9
8.8
4.0

Source: The Nielsen Company

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