Many TV Stations Switching to DTV in Feb

Almost 700 broadcast TV stations - about 40 percent of the broadcast station in the United States - are going to switch to digital broadcasts February 17.

The U.S. Congress has officially delaying the United States’ transition to digital television until June 12, 2009, but individual broadcast stations are still allowed to convert over to digital broadcasting on the original date of February 17, 2009. And, it turns, out a significant number of television broadcasters have asked the FCC for permission to go ahead with shutting off analog TV on the original DTV cutoff date of February 17, 2009. According to the Federal Communications Commission, some 681 television stations—about 40 percent of all U.S. television broadcasters—plan to shut down analog service on or before February 17, 2009 (PDF). The agency has published a list (PDF) of all 681 stations.

The FCC notes that it may notify stations in selected markets that they may not terminate analog broadcasts on or before February 17 if it considers the shutoff "contrary to the public interest." Presumably, one criteria would be that markets continue to be served by some sort of analog television broadcast until the June 12, 2009, transition date so viewers who rely on over-the-air broadcasts would be able to receive at least emergency information and other critical broadcasts.

Now that it has passed Congress, President Obama is expected to sign the bill officially delaying the DTV transition.