The IEEE’s Broadcast Technology Society (BTS) has underwritten part of the production cost of a television program specifically geared to assisting off-air television viewers adapt to digital reception.

The program was produced by Iowa Public Television and, according to Bill Hayes, BTS president and director of engineering for Iowa Public Television, it has been uplinked on four different occasions to U.S. television stations wishing to carry it.

“At this point in time we believe that over 400 stations have taken the program for use as part of their education campaign for their viewers,” Hayes said. “It is also now available on YouTube.”

The production is titled “Receiving Digital Television” and runs slightly more than 50 minutes. It provides information on the nature of digital television transmission, benefits of digital TV, virtual channels, antennas for DTV signals and other information needed by viewers to make the digital transition and for achieving the best results from a broadcaster’s digital transmissions.

The program is also available for Internet viewing through Iowa Public Television’s Web site. Additional DTV reception information is also available at that site.

Bill Hayes is also a contributor to TV Technology.