Some N.C. TV stations have switched to digital broadcast
Some North Carolina television stations are switching from analog to digital signals ahead of the extended June 12 deadline.
In the Triad, WXLV (ABC, Channel 45) and WMYV (MyNetwork TV, Channel 48), both in Winston-Salem, switched early. Both are owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Some stations set up call centers to talk views through the process of setting up converter boxes. Others sent engineers to viewers' homes.
Station manager Jeff Long of WHKY in Hickory said Tuesday that the transition on Saturday went better than he had expected. Ten other stations in North Carolina were dropping analog TV signals Tuesday or early Wednesday.
They're among 641 stations nationwide that got permission from the Federal Communications Commission to drop analog this week. The original deadline was Tuesday, but the FCC extended it to June after funding ran out for coupons to subsidize converter boxes.
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Want to know more?
If you own a TV that receives free, over-the-air programming with an outdoor antenna or rabbit ears, you need to prepare for the switch to digital TV.
You have three options: buy and connect a digital converter box to your analog TV; buy a TV with a built-in digital tuner; or subscribe to a paid service such as cable or satellite TV.
Each household is eligible for two $40 coupons to be used toward the purchase of two converter boxes. Because money for the program has run out, those applying now will go on a waiting list. Additional money for the program has been included in the stimulus package now before Congress.
To apply for coupons, visit www.dtv2009.gov or call (888) 388-2009. For more information on the transition, go to www.dtv.gov or call (888) 225-5322.
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