As SHOOT went to press, the U.S. Senate had approved postponing the country’s transition to digital TV from Feb. 17 to June 12. It now appears likely that some sort of delay, which has the backing of President Obama’s administration, will come to pass.
On the ad industry front, three key groups–the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) and the American Advertising Federation (AAF)–have expressed their joint support for the four-month reprieve. The organizations cited the amount of households that are not ready for the transition, as well as the chance for the government to address some unresolved issues that arose throughout the transition process.
Currently many households are still categorized as either “completely” or “partially unready” for the transition. As of January 2009, Nielsen Media Research estimated that 5.7 percent of television households were “completely unready,” meaning they did not have any sets equipped to receive digital signals. This amounts to approximately 6.5 million households.
Meanwhile, another 9.2 percent of homes were “partially unready,” meaning they contained at least one set that was not equipped to receive digital signals and one or more sets that are ready; this translates to about 10.5 million households.
These 17 million “unready” households would lose television reception either completely or partially should the transition occur in February. The ANA, AAAA and AAF are concerned that this sudden loss of the ability to receive television transmission would cut off many millions of Americans from important media access, including commercial messages.
The ad industry groups further contend that the proposed four-month delay in implementation would give the government the opportunity to address the issues it has had with the TV converter box coupon program, including unclear expiration dates, and reimbursement funds that have been depleted. Removing these impediments would in turn allow more of the “unready” households to upgrade their systems and be deemed ready for the pending transition.
The ANA, AAAA and AAF contend that by June the prospects are much better for a smooth digital transition in which few or no households would lose television transmission.
Where The Buffalo Roam Signs Director Geordie Stephens For Spots and Branded Content
Production company Where The Buffalo Roam (WTBR) has signed director Geordie Stephens for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. Stephens is known for his subtle performance-driven comedic style, emphasizing art direction, production design, and cinematography. Previously represented by Tool of North America, Bullitt and FANCY, Stephens has a commercial portfolio which includes such global brands as Mini Cooper, HP, Toyota, Bud Light, and Burger King. A former agency creative, Stephens transitioned to the director’s chair following a lengthy career on the agency side as a creative at Butler, Shine & Stern and CP+B Miami, among other shops.
PJ Koll, WTBR co-founder and executive producer, said of Stephens, “His expertise and talent perfectly complement our creative strengths, enhancing our ability to deliver at the highest level. We feel incredibly fortunate to have him join the herd.”
“When I met Tim [WTBR exec producer Pries] and PJ, we immediately hit it off,” added Stephens. “They’re super sharp, funny, and good people who have assembled a very interesting mix of talent with different skills. As a director, I’m always looking for simple human truths that everyone can relate to in a humorous and smart way. The Buffalo team specializes in the small wink, so they get my sense of humor and will give me the platform to keep pushing great work forward.”
During his advertising career, Stephens spearheaded campaigns for IKEA, Truth, Virgin Atlantic, Burger King, Sprite, and Volkswagen. His work also won top prizes at the Cannes Lions and Clios and has been honored by numerous One Show and AICP awards.
Raised in an artistic community in California’s Marin County by his writer-mother and... Read More