Stations prepare for consumer confusion about digital TV

Addicted to "The Office"? Dying to find out who wins "American Idol"?

Your worst nightmare could come true on Feb. 17, 2009.

That is the day when television stations nationwide will start exclusively using digital broadcasting. Television viewers who use so-called rabbit ears to pull in a signal will find themselves in the dark.

But fear not. Consumers can buy special converter boxes to keep their old televisions humming, and local television stations are rushing to make sure viewers don't get their signals crossed over the transition.

"I think the stations are gearing up for the future," said Richard Wyckoff, president of the Dauphin County-based Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters. "I think you'll see a lot more information coming out."

Congress mandated the conversion to all-digital broadcasting. Many stations have the technology to broadcast digitally and have begun to serve customers who have televisions with digital tuners. Cable- and satellite-television customers will not have to do anything to prepare for the change. However, roughly 10 percent of viewers in the midstate still watch television by capturing over-the-air signals with an antenna. That might seem like a small percentage, but it equals about 80,000 households, said Paul Quinn, president and general manager of WGAL-TV (Ch. 8), the local NBC affiliate.

WGAL and other stations took turns manning a booth at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in January where they met with viewers and answered questions about the transition. The booth will be set up at various other venues throughout the year, including the York Fair, the Allentown Fair and car shows, Wyckoff said. On May 4, the booth will visit the state Capitol, and association officials will meet with legislators to educate them on how they can best respond to constituents' concerns.

The reaction of viewers who visited the booth showed that many questions remain about the transition, said Joe Lewin, president and general manager of WHTM-TV (Ch. 27), the region's ABC affiliate.

"Without question, there's a lot of confusion going around," he said.

For example, some broadcast executives reported that many consumers receiving over-the-air signals believe their televisions won't work at all after the transition. That's not true, if they purchase converter boxes that are starting to appear on store shelves. The Federal Communications Commission is offering $40 coupons that people can use to purchase the converters, which are expected to range in price from $40 to $70. More information about the coupon program is available at www.dtv.gov.

Stations also are using the airwaves to educate consumers. Most stations are running public-service announcements about the transition. In February, WGAL is running a series of news features about the transition, Quinn said. The series eventually will be made into a special that will run throughout the year.

Seniors may have the most trouble adapting to the change, said John Riggle, vice president and general manager of WPMT-TV (Ch. 43), the area's Fox affiliate. It might take an extra effort to educate them and their family members, he said.

Although local stations have lots of work ahead of them, broadcast executives don't expect the FCC to give them any more time to get ready for the transition. It's time for everyone to make the change, Wyckoff said.

"There's no going back," he said. "This train has left the station."