FORT WORTH, Texas, June 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- RadioShack
Corporation (NYSE: RSH) and the American Library Association (ALA) today
announced a nationwide initiative to help educate the public about the
Digital Television (DTV) Transition set to begin in all 50 states and
Puerto Rico on Feb. 17, 2009, and at noon, Sept. 8, in the test market of
Wilmington, N.C.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000518/DATH047LOGO)
Through this partnership, RadioShack's 4,500 company stores and many of
the 1,000-plus participating franchise stores will offer knowledgeable team
members to 16,000 ALA public libraries to host educational sessions for
library patrons. Included in these sessions will be information about why
the digital television transition is occurring, the benefits digital
television offers television viewers, what people need to do in order to
continue receiving over-the-air television broadcasts after the conversion
occurs, and how to apply for up to two $40 government coupons per household
to help reduce the costs of obtaining a digital converter box. RadioShack's
education outreach will also include demonstrations on how to successfully
set up a digital converter box to an analog television set. Working
together, the two groups hope to educate citizens in nearly every ZIP Code
in the U.S.
"Libraries offer trusted information and public space to communities in
virtually every corner of the U.S.," said ALA President Loriene Roy, "and
with RadioShack's help, those libraries will now be able to provide
hands-on help from experienced technical professionals to help them
understand the digital television transition and how it may affect them."
"We're excited to be partnering with the American Library Association
in the ongoing effort to help educate everyone about this milestone event
in television broadcasting history," said Peter Whitsett, RadioShack's
executive vice president, general merchandising manager. "Consumer
education is the number-one key to ensuring a smooth digital transition.
While we have focused on store training and advertising to communicate the
digital transition to our customers, we want to take advantage of every
opportunity to extend our reputation as the trusted neighborhood
electronics advisor into the community as a whole. I can think of no better
way to do this than by having our knowledgeable team members meet
fact-to-face with library patrons to explain the transition and answer
questions."
ALA members who wish to host a digital television transition
presentation in their library may make a request directly through
RadioShack's corporate offices. More details will be provided to ALA
members at the ALA Annual Conference June 26-July 2, 2008, in Anaheim,
Calif. In certain markets RadioShack Spanish-speaking team members will be
available to host presentations for Spanish language patrons.
Both RadioShack and ALA are members of the DTV Transition Coalition,
and both have been at the forefront of education efforts on the Transition.
The ALA has participated in several educational workshops at the FCC and
FTC, while RadioShack has also joined in several public education events.
While more than 5,000 RadioShack stores have been actively fulfilling
in-store requests for digital converter boxes since February 2008,
customers may also order digital converter boxes through the company's
Direct to You ordering system or a toll-free number, 1-877-RS-DTV-4U, and
have the box delivered with no shipping charge.
In addition to the converter boxes and digital accessories, RadioShack
also offers other options customers can consider when making the digital
transition, including various televisions and home entertainment devices
with built-in digital tuners, Dish Network satellite service and
subscriptions for local cable providers (offerings vary by market).
For additional information regarding the DTV transition, visit
http://www.RadioShack.com, http://www.dtv2009.gov or call 1-800-DTV-2009.
The American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest and largest
library association in the world with some 66,000 members, primarily
school, public, academic, and some special librarians, but also trustees,
publishers, and friends of libraries. The Association provides leadership
for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information
services and the profession of librarianship to enhance learning and ensure
access to information for all. For more on ALA, please visit
http://www.ala.org.
About RadioShack Corporation
RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) is one of the nation's most
experienced and trusted consumer electronics specialty retailers. Operating
from convenient and comfortable neighborhood and mall locations, RadioShack
stores deliver personalized product and service solutions within a few
short minutes of where most Americans either live or work. The company has
a presence through almost 6,000 company-operated stores and dealer outlets
in the United States and nearly 800 wireless phone kiosks. RadioShack's
dedicated force of knowledgeable and helpful sales associates has been
consistently recognized by several independent groups as providing the best
customer service in the consumer electronics and wireless industries. For
more information on RadioShack Corporation, or to purchase items online,
visit http://www.RadioShack.com.
SOURCE RadioShack Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.RadioShack.com
http://www.dtv2009.gov http://www.ala.org/
Photo Notes:
NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000518/DATH047LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org PRN Photo Desk
photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Charles Hodges of the RadioShack Corporation,
+1-817-415-3300, Media.Relations@RadioShack.com; or Andy Bridges
of the American Library Association, 1-800-941-8478,
abridges@alawash.org
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