image ganked from popsci.com
If you’ve been following the news this week you know that there’s been a lot of discussion about postponing the end of analog television and the coming switch to the digital age. It turns out that despite a lot of advance warning to get digital converter boxes before the big switcheroo on Feb. 17, which you’ve been warned about with those annoying banner ads, and despite a coupon program to help people pay for them, a fair number of TV watchers, particularly poor folks and the elderly, are still operating with the old 20th century analog technology.
So,
on Wednesday
the House of Reps voted to extend the deadline until June 12
. The Senate passed similar legislation last week; President Obama said he’ll sign it, and through a spokesperson promised to “continue to work with Congress to improve the information and assistance available to American consumers in advance of June 12, especially those in the most vulnerable communities.”
If you think old school TV people are breathing a sigh of relief and thinking maybe they’ll have more time to finally figure out that new-fangled box, well, that’s not exactly the case, not locally anyway. If you live in Humboldt County sans cable, and were watching the few stations still available with a TV antennae (and no digital TV or converter box) you know that the Eureka Television Group’s CBS 6 and Fox 29 made the switch on Nov. 28 last year, which is to say they switched off their analog signal and — no more
Simpsons
(now on 28, not 29).
Today we learned that despite the reprieve from Washington D.C. the local PBS affiliate KEET-TV will follow the original February date to shut down its analog signal, basically because it costs too much money to run both digital and analog feeds and it’s up to them to decide when to switch. As noted in a Friday press release:
After 40 years of broadcasting on analog Channel 13, KEET-TV, public television for the North Coast, will cease transmission of its over-the-air analog signal after 11:59 p.m. on February 17, 2009. The analog shut-off will only affect viewers that receive their programming with an indoor or outdoor antenna. Cable subscribers will have no interruption of service.
Ron Schoenherr, KEET-TV’s Executive Director said, “There is some understandable confusion over the current legislation moving through Congress dealing with the possibility to continue analog broadcasting until June 12, 2009. KEET-TV’s staff and board of directors made the decision to stick with the originally mandated shut-off date and stop broadcasting our analog signal on February 17. The main consideration was a financial one. To date, KEET-TV has spent almost $2 million to comply with the federally mandated digital conversion, and we are still seeking funds for its completion. The average monthly PG&E bill for operating KEET’s 23-year-old analog transmitter is between $3,000 to $4,000. We simply do not have the funds to continue analog broadcast for another four months.”
In compliance with the federal mandate KEET began broadcasting a digital signal in 2003. In 2007, KEET began broadcasting a high-power digital signal on digital channel 13-1, and added their second channel KEET WORLD, which airs PBS news, public affairs and documentary programming on 13-2. In January of this year, KEET applied to the FCC for permission to terminate analog broadcasting on the originally mandated date of February 17, and has been running public service announcements giving viewers advance notice of the analog cut-off date.
Viewers that receive an over-the-air signal will need to install a converter box that connects to an antenna and television set. In many cases, “rabbit ear” antennas may not work well with digital broadcasting. New digital set-top antennas may also need to be purchased. There is viewer information available on
KEET’s website www.keet.org
, and questions about the digital conversion may also be directed to dtv@keet-tv.org. Information is also available at
www.dtv2009.gov
. A good site for antenna information is
www.tvfool.com
.
That leaves only KIEM Channel 3 for the analoggers post Feb. 17. The NBC affiliate decided to go with Obama’s pushed back June date. And they have an all new set of annoying messages ready to tell you as much.
This article appears in Crossing Schools.
NCJ decided to ignore the finical impact leaving analog broadcasting on KEET TV.
I’m not sure what you mean Cappy. It says in the intro that they made the decision “because it costs too much money to run both digital and analog feeds.” The E.D. made that same case and provided stats. What’s the problem?
Your headline is mean and inconsiderate.
Anyone know if KEET will be adding more channels? (PBS Kids, perhaps) How about Eureka Television Group adding the Spanish channel with the babes on it? Is ETG required to broadcast all their stations in digital?
got a HDTV antennea for the tv, comes in clean. Radio shack
They have given people plenty of warning to get the converter box for their tv. With the coupon it is $10. When June comes, I’m sure they’ll extend the date even further… can’t do anything to upset the poor or the elderly. We bought our converter box and it works great. Pictures come in clearer then Suddenlink!
Digital is fine but where is the HD? So far I have see only 480i on everything except KBVU 29-1 at 720p.
Just a little information exchange: While KBVU Fox29 and KVIQ CBS6 have already made the conversion to digital from analog, as mandated by the U.S. Government (and at a great expense), KEMY-33, KUVU-CW9 and KEUV -31 (Univision) will not be making the change from analog to digital at this time.
You will still be able to receive these stations, along with the KEAZ-36 color bars being generated and the Trinity Broadcasting signal at Channel 48.
Full power stations were mandated to change while low power stations, (the aforementioned) were not.
Just so you know, the digital conversion has been in effect for over two years with the top 100 market stations in the nation making the change a long time ago. The lower 100 market stations were the stations that were given a Feburary 17th, 2009 deadline.
As far as broadcasting in High Definiton…whew, give the local stations a chance. Let them upgrade to digital first, before asking them to invest another huge amount into broadcasting a High Definition signal.
By the way, DTV is not HDTV. KBVU-Fox28 is broadcasting FoxHD signals WHEN the HD programs are present. The programming, like the rest of society hasn’t caught up with the quick-as-a-blink technological changes occurring in television.
It takes money, folks. Everything takes money.
Thanks. Great info.
Nice istockphoto watermark on the image in this post.
Busted. I honestly did not see the watermark until you pointed it out. (Perhaps due to too much time staring at a monitor.)
Thanks Hank! So I recently (2 months ago) purchased a digital converter for my analog tv and have received a perfect signal. As of the 10th of Feb however we lost our Fox signal completely! Has anyone else had this problem? Anyone know how to fix it?
Fox28 has had trouble with its off-air digital signal up on Kneeland. The wind has really caused problems with the alignment with the STL (Station to Transmitter Link). Station engineers are working to batten down the problems as we speak.
If you would like more information, contact Mark Dare, Chief Engineer, Eureka Television Group. 442-2999
As of the 16th the problem was fixed. Thank you for the info. I tried contacting the ETG and Fox, but to no avail. The only Television I watch is the Family Guy, and now peace has returned….