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The move to digital television can be confusing, but have no fear.
The sky through which many of those signals travel isn’t falling.
On Friday, CBS affiliate KHQA Channel 7 in Quincy, Ill., and ABC station KTVO Channel 3 in Kirksville announced they won’t be switching to digital next Tuesday as planned.
However, NBC station WGEM Channel 10 of Quincy plans to shut down its analog transmitter at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday and start broadcasting a digital signal 90 to 120 minutes later.
The Federal Communications Commission asked the three stations to wait until June 12, the government’s new deadline for the conversion.
“We’re going to comply with their request that we wait,” said Carol Kellum, president of KHQA and KTVO, which are owned by Barrington Broadcasting Group. “We believe this gives our viewers a little more time to find a solution.”
WGEM, which is owned by Quincy Newspapers Inc., appealed the request and was still awaiting a response late Friday afternoon.
Jim Lawrence, WGEM’s director of operations and engineering, said the station decided that demand for digital was too great and the station’s investment too large for it to delay the switch.
“We feel consumers in the market are ready and they want this transition to happen,” Lawrence said. “People here have listened to the information and they’ve done what they needed to do.”
Stations estimate fewer than one percent of Tri-States area homes are not ready for the digital transition.
Other broadcasters waiting until June include PBS station KETC in St. Louis and CBS affiliates KRCG in Columbia and KMOV in St. Louis.
Making the transition now or within two months are NBC station KOMU and ABC affiliate KMIZ, both in Columbia, and ABC broadcaster KDNL in St. Louis.
The St. Louis NBC affiliate, KSDK, hadn’t announced its plans. Quincy-area PBS affiliate WQEC and religious station WTJR already broadcast in digital.
So, what does it all mean?
For most of us, nothing.
If you already have cable, satellite, another pay service, a newer-model set with a built-in tuner or a converter box, you’ll be OK, no matter when the changeover happens.
If you install a converter box, you’ll probably need to re-scan to make sure you’re getting digital stations in your area.
Digital sets are “backward compatible,” which means your old analog VCRs, DVD players, camcorders and video games will still work.
The FCC administered the distribution of $40 rebates for converter boxes, but recently ran out of coupons. The economic stimulus bill includes more than $600 million for additional coupons.
Digital television promises better picture quality and sound. Lawmakers originally mandated the switch to clear the way for wider use of the publicly-owned broadcast spectrum.
The change will make room for new wireless broadband services and a national emergency responders’ frequency.
To learn more, go to the FCC’s digital television Website at www.dtv.gov.
The move to digital television can be confusing, but have no fear.
The sky through which many of those signals travel isn’t falling.
On Friday, CBS affiliate KHQA Channel 7 in Quincy, Ill., and ABC station KTVO Channel 3 in Kirksville announced they won’t be switching to digital next Tuesday as planned.
However, NBC station WGEM Channel 10 of Quincy plans to shut down its analog transmitter at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday and start broadcasting a digital signal 90 to 120 minutes later.
The Federal Communications Commission asked the three stations to wait until June 12, the government’s new deadline for the conversion.
“We’re going to comply with their request that we wait,” said Carol Kellum, president of KHQA and KTVO, which are owned by Barrington Broadcasting Group. “We believe this gives our viewers a little more time to find a solution.”
WGEM, which is owned by Quincy Newspapers Inc., appealed the request and was still awaiting a response late Friday afternoon.
Jim Lawrence, WGEM’s director of operations and engineering, said the station decided that demand for digital was too great and the station’s investment too large for it to delay the switch.
“We feel consumers in the market are ready and they want this transition to happen,” Lawrence said. “People here have listened to the information and they’ve done what they needed to do.”
Stations estimate fewer than one percent of Tri-States area homes are not ready for the digital transition.
Other broadcasters waiting until June include PBS station KETC in St. Louis and CBS affiliates KRCG in Columbia and KMOV in St. Louis.
Making the transition now or within two months are NBC station KOMU and ABC affiliate KMIZ, both in Columbia, and ABC broadcaster KDNL in St. Louis.
The St. Louis NBC affiliate, KSDK, hadn’t announced its plans. Quincy-area PBS affiliate WQEC and religious station WTJR already broadcast in digital.
So, what does it all mean?
For most of us, nothing.
If you already have cable, satellite, another pay service, a newer-model set with a built-in tuner or a converter box, you’ll be OK, no matter when the changeover happens.
If you install a converter box, you’ll probably need to re-scan to make sure you’re getting digital stations in your area.
Digital sets are “backward compatible,” which means your old analog VCRs, DVD players, camcorders and video games will still work.
The FCC administered the distribution of $40 rebates for converter boxes, but recently ran out of coupons. The economic stimulus bill includes more than $600 million for additional coupons.
Digital television promises better picture quality and sound. Lawmakers originally mandated the switch to clear the way for wider use of the publicly-owned broadcast spectrum.
The change will make room for new wireless broadband services and a national emergency responders’ frequency.
To learn more, go to the FCC’s digital television Website at www.dtv.gov.
