Live in Wilmington, NC? If so, on the morning of Sept. 8th, you will be treated to a digital-only signal, as the 135th-largest TV market area in the country, with 179,760 TV homes, switches to digital-only as a test.
February 17, 2009 will be the final day that analog TV signals will be broadcast by full power stations. And, as you probably know, for those who need to install converter boxes (satellite and cable TV subscribers need not worry), converter coupons are available, granting those consumers a $40 subsidy.
Still, there's plenty of concern over the switchover, and with that, it makes sense to roll-out a test, doesn't it? So Wilmington, NC residents are the lucky (?) victims, er, volunteers. Yes, it was announced in May that Wilmington had volunteered.
There was originally concern that Tropical Storm Hanna might cause the FCC to postpone the experiment, but on Sunday the FCC announced that the test would go on as scheduled.
The digital TV transition is expected to affect more than 15% of U.S. households, which still rely on free TV broadcasts as opposed to cable or satellite TV. With such a high number, the FCC and others have been concerned over the public's preparedness (you've probably seen those ads that show up on your set sometimes warning about the transition).
Wilmington is slightly better off than the rest of the U.S., with reportedly only 7% of its households, or roughly 12,600 homes still using analog signals.
The FCC will hold a press conference at 10:30 AM EDT on Sept. 8th in Wilmington; an A/V link will be provided here at that time. The switch will be "flipped" at 12 noon.
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