Shrygue
October 23rd, 2007, 19:51
via Gizmodo (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/digital-switchover/fcc-fines-retailers-96000-for-selling-analog-tvs-313965.php)
Radio Shack, HH Gregg, FYE, Fred Meyer Stores, Ultimate Electronics and Boscov's all got smacked with fines totaling almost $100K because they sold analog TVs that were not properly marked with a warning sticker saying that they would basically stop receiving signal (at least, not without a cable box or other kind of assistance) when the digital switchover hits on Feb. 17, 2009.
According to Ars, the warning-sticker rule went into effect on May 25:
Any company selling analog-only TV sets [must] display a prominent "Consumer Alert" in "a size of type large enough to be clear, conspicuous and readily legible" that is located on the set itself or immediately adjacent to it.
Although the total fines levied were not terribly high, the per-TV charge is a stiff $8,000 [£3,900].
As you may have read here (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/digital-switchover/best-buy-stops-selling-analog-sets-signaling-end-of-an-era-311993.php), Best Buy got wise to this whole thing and decided to stop selling analog TVs altogether. Maybe that was just easier than training thousands of "blue shirts" to put warning stickers on the right TV sets.
Radio Shack, HH Gregg, FYE, Fred Meyer Stores, Ultimate Electronics and Boscov's all got smacked with fines totaling almost $100K because they sold analog TVs that were not properly marked with a warning sticker saying that they would basically stop receiving signal (at least, not without a cable box or other kind of assistance) when the digital switchover hits on Feb. 17, 2009.
According to Ars, the warning-sticker rule went into effect on May 25:
Any company selling analog-only TV sets [must] display a prominent "Consumer Alert" in "a size of type large enough to be clear, conspicuous and readily legible" that is located on the set itself or immediately adjacent to it.
Although the total fines levied were not terribly high, the per-TV charge is a stiff $8,000 [£3,900].
As you may have read here (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/digital-switchover/best-buy-stops-selling-analog-sets-signaling-end-of-an-era-311993.php), Best Buy got wise to this whole thing and decided to stop selling analog TVs altogether. Maybe that was just easier than training thousands of "blue shirts" to put warning stickers on the right TV sets.