On Saturday, June 6th, Lao Assistance Staff and youth volunteers along with representatives from Mn Media Empowerment Project, Grass Roots Solutions and Main Street Project came together to inform the community about resources available regarding the June 12th transition to DTV. The organizations assembled at the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market. Despite the cold and rain, everyone was happy to have the opportunity to talk to visitors from all over the Twin Cities and received great responses from many who were curious about their efforts.

The Lao Assistance Center in Minneapolis still has a DTV Assistance Center to help Laotians prepare for the Digital TV Transition. This summer, television stations will make the final transition towards Digital Television and many older TV sets will no longer function without a signal converter box. If you know someone who wants to know what kind of a converter box to get, where to get one and how to install one properly, contact the Lao Assistance Center at (612) 374-4967 or e-mail chongchith@laocenter.org. You can also drop in at 503 Irving Ave. N in Minneapolis during regular business hours.

On June 12th, the day the nation turns off analog TV, the DTV Social Justice Coalition will be hosting a fun community event at Powderhorn Park to ensure everyone is prepared for the DTV transition. Twin Cities residents will have a chance to apply for coupons, exchange their government coupons for a converter box, see live demonstrations on how to hook it up, and enjoy some food. Help will be provided in multiple languages.

“Every day, we see people coming in to our offices asking about the news they see about DTV,” said Sunny Chanthanouvong, executive director of the Lao Assistance Center. “We’re happy to be a part of the effort to reduce this confusion, considering the impact it can have on many families who do not speak English as a first language. Refugees and immigrants could be strongly affected, especially in rural areas where access to information is often very limited.”

The DTV Transition has been a stumbling block for many communities and it has threatened to decrease access to television. The current costs associated with a DTV transition, including the purchase of a converter box could leave millions of viewers in the dark. “Many of the folks that have been on the outside looking in around DTV have been communities of color and low income communities,” said Steven Renderos, Project Coordinator for the MN Media Empowerment Project. “Even now there are families that can’t afford the switch and that’s why having the No-Cost Box is so important.”

The DTV Coalition—members of the Media Action Grassroots Network teamed up with Mosquito Productions, a local electronics retailer, to provide a No-Cost Box, which helps low-income families afford the cost of purchasing the converter box. The DTV Day of Action is a nationally coordinated effort by the Media Action Grassroots Network highlighting the importance of a socially responsible DTV transition.