The Consumer Electronics Association and the NAB announced the first semi-final winner in their Rabbit Ears Pioneers contest. CEA and NAB define “Rabbit Ears Pioneers” as “those individuals who rely on broadcast TV signals, a trusty TV set, and an antenna to receive their favorite TV shows.” Contest applicants need to submit a photo of a Rabbit Ears Pioneer and their TV set along with a short essay of at least 200 words describing how the Pioneer enjoys over-the-air TV broadcasts, their favorite type of TV shows, and a description of their home entertainment setup.
An Arkansas teacher was the first winner. JoNancy Linn Sundberg, 69, of Hot Springs Village, Ark. was presented with a Zenith converter box and an RCA digital reception antenna during an in-studio appearance on KTHV-TV, Little Rock’s CBS affiliate. She will be able to use the converter box to receive digital channels on her 1982 black-and-white analog TV set. That black-and-white set might be retired if she wins the grand prize, a high-definition home entertainment center.
Here is an excerpt from her entry:
“I’ve never had anything
But an analog TV.
When February ’09 arrives,
I’ll be bereft, you see,
Of all the information and entertainment
That so appeals to me.
So please consider my entry favorably!”
Gary Shapiro, CEA’s president and CEO, said, “Ms. Sundberg’s poetic tribute to analog television is a reminder of a time when life was a little simpler. We are thrilled to have such a thoughtful winner, and we offer our most sincere congratulations. We are pleased to present her with a digital-to-analog converter box which will ensure her trusty analog set will work for years to come.”
NAB President and CEO David Rehr said, “As this winning entry shows, television is ever-evolving but has remained a constant companion and entertainer throughout the decades. As we move into the digital future, this viewer can relish another revolution in broadcasting with the crystal clear picture and sound of digital television.”
If you know a Rabbit Ears Pioneer, there is still time to enter the contest. Semi-final winners will be announced in August, September and October 2008. The grand prize winning entry will be announced in November as part of the 180-day countdown to the transition and in time to kick-off the holiday season.
