Antennas Direct Offers DTV Antenna Giveaways for Seniors
June 4, 2009: ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Senior citizens have been identified as one of six groups in the nation most at risk of losing their primary source for news, weather and public safety information after the digital conversion on June 12. To help this vulnerable demographic with the transition, Antennas Direct is offering local senior centers/communities free DTV antenna giveaways during the month of June.
"We have been fielding numerous calls from viewers all over the nation who are having reception issues, and a majority of those calls are from older Americans and senior citizens," said Richard Schneider, company president. "This is an alarming trend given that a large portion of the population gets their news, weather and health information from network TV."
For the past several months, Antennas Direct has traveled the country holding educational events and antenna giveaways in partnership with network television stations to raise awareness of potential DTV reception problems. So far, its nationwide Antennas NOW! Bus Tour has visited over 30 television stations, driven more than 22,000 miles and helped thousands of people with questions and issues.
"The majority of people who attended the Bus Tour events were 65 and older, they typically did not have a computer at home and had several questions about the information they had available," he said. "We've been trying to come up with a solution and thought of holding 'Grandson's Day,' where grandchildren assist their grandparents with DTV questions and installations."
Senior centers/communities are urged to notify the company immediately to request an antenna giveaway event at their location. The company will choose two senior centers based the most compelling story and greatest need. To be considered for a DTV antenna giveaway and educational event, centers and communities are asked to submit their stories via e-mail to Katie Brady at Katie@kolbeco.net. The event will also include installation assistance, demonstrations and tips for DTV reception. The two winners will be announced June 12.
About Antennas Direct
As a member of the Inc. 500 list for 2008, Antennas Direct is a St. Louis-based manufacturer and distributor of over-the-air antennas. The company was founded by Richard Schneider in 2003 and has since been widely recognized for superior product design and performance by a number of industry publications and main stream media outlets. Having invested major resources into the discovery and implementation of new technological advances in television antenna design, Antennas Direct continually tests and modifies antenna designs, raising the bar by which antenna performance and appearance are measured. For additional information on Antennas Direct, visit www.antennasdirect.com.