Pending only the signature of the president, the mandatory end of analog OTA TV (except for translator and low-power stations) has been delayed until June 12.  In my opinion this is a bad move on the part of our government.  Mainly because this delay only delays the date that analog broadcasts must stop, it still allows stations to turn off analog anytime between now and then.  Some stations have already turned off analog, others will turn it off 2/17/09 anyways, and others will turn it off between now and June 12.  Also, some stations are not currently on their final DTV frequency and still need to switch to that frequency.  This means there is no orderly switching of frequencies now and consumers will need to rescan their digital equipment more often and who knows what days this will need to be done to find their DTV stations.  This also impacts some stations’ coverage area (including WKAR) who are not broadcasting on their final frequency and/or power levels and can’t reach all their analog viewers.  WKAR can’t switch to their final frequency until other stations in the area complete their transition.  Big, big mess in my opinion – but then again – government does what they do best!

As always, if you have questions about the DTV transition, please let me know.