Strong DTV Sales Foundation For 5th DTV Summit

The Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association (CEMA) reports that digital television (DTV) sales remained strong in the first quarter of 1999, with sales to dealers reaching 12,518 units, bring total DTV sales to 25,694 in just seven months. The mounting success of DTV will be addressed at the fifth DTV Summit in Los Angeles, California on September 28, 1999.""It is a great sign that first quarter DTV sales are tracking with fourth quarter 1998 sales because the first quarter is not traditionally a strong quarter for TV set sales. We expect sales to continue at a steady pace and anticipate increased momentum as more programming becomes available and as more stations begin DTV broadcasts,"" said CEMA President Gary Shapiro.""Momentum is continuing to build on DTV. Manufacturers have introduced a variety of products and retailers and consumers are buying them. Now that DTV is making its way into consumersí homes, we need compelling programming ñ and plenty of it ñ to validate their investment in DTV,"" remarked Shapiro.Two recently announced partnerships will add significantly to the available DTV programming this fall. Mitsubishi will underwrite the conversion of CBSí prime time line-up to HDTV and ABC and Panasonic have announced that they will team up to broadcast Super Bowl XXXIV, and the 1999/2000 season of ""Monday Night Football"" live in high definition television.""These partnerships represent the kind of inter-industry cooperation that is critical to the success of DTV. All of our research tells us that consumer purchase decisions are driven largely by content. Our industries must work together to ensure that DTV consumers have something to see ñ thatís what this Summit is all about,"" remarked Shapiro. For more information about summit registration, phone 703 907 7605 or visit the CEMA Web site at www.cemacity.org.