[Archive 2009-02-12] Many US TV stations preparing to make digital switch despite new legislation

Historical archive — originally published 2009-02-12. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Despite legislation enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on Wednesday, more than one-third of television stations in the United States are planning to move ahead with the transition to digital television, according to reports.

The transition, which was scheduled for February 17, has been pushed back to June 12, 2009, per the DTV Delay Act enacted on Wednesday. However, it left a loophole for broadcasters, allowing them to make the switch anytime between February 17 and June 12.

On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said that 681 of the nearly 1,800 television broadcast stations in the United States would cease broadcasting in the old analog format on the original February 17 date.

Owners of analog TV sets will need a converter box, for which there has been a US$1.5 billion federal program of $40 coupons for such boxes, which will allow them to view digital programming on analog televisions.

The three 'major' networks, ABC, CBS and NBC, have pledged to continue broadcasting in analog, but they only own about 100 of the 1,800 stations.

NBC affiliate, WDTN said that it would continue to broadcast public safety information over the analog signals, but that it had done research that showed most viewers were ready for the switch.

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