Not that we're excusing the act of procrastination, but regardless of how much we or any governmental agency does to inform the general public of the impending digital TV transition, you can bank on the fact that some folks will act utterly stunned when their analog set stops receiving signal on
February 17, 2009. Being sure that said scenario will become a reality in due time, the US Senate last week passed the Short-Term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness (SAFER) Act, which would allow "public safety announcements and information about the DTV transition to continue being broadcast for a month after the official cut-off." The House has yet to give its official stamp of approval, but with both FCC chairman Kevin Martin and the Bush administration at large backing it, we don't foresee any snags in passage. On that note,
get yourself a voucher and
get prepared!
posted Nov 25th 2008 8:28PM
It appears you (and most of the public) will also be surprised when analog TV continues to work on 2/17/2009 after being told it would not. The first time viewers will notice the analog signoff en mass will be on 2/18/2009 as local stations will continue to broadcast analog until 11:59:59PM on 2/17/2009.
This bill is a no-brainer. In fact, it's so obvious, it should have been included from the very beginning of the DTV transition. Yes, I know, they've been pushing the DTV transition for the last two years, and in the next 84 days it will get louder and louder, so in theory, everyone by 2/17 will have heard and know all about the DTV cutoff.
Still... which seems more consumer friendly, everything (low-power analog excluded) simultaneously going off the air at midnight 2/18/09... or a nice friendly message that tells people "We've switched to digital. If you're seeing this message, that means you haven't upgraded yet. You won't see anything here in a month, so get moving and get a DTV converter box, now!"
What is strange is that a couple of stations in my area are lowering their power on 11/27/2008. So people in the fringe areas will lose signal with no message starting Thanksgiving :)
I don't think all stations are required to broadcast in analog until 2/17/2009. I heard some stations are pulling the plug in december.