We Get a Chance to Preview the DTV Disaster

In a pilot test in Wilimington NC the primary TV stations in that market will turn off their analog signals for an agreed upon period of time. It will be interesting to know how quickly the telephone boards at the stations will light up. This is to occur on Sept. 8th. From the FCC presser –

Washington, DC – Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Kevin Martin today announced Wilmington, North Carolina, will be the first market to test the transition to digital
television (DTV) in advance of the nationwide transition to DTV on February 17, 2009. The commercial broadcasters serving the Wilmington television market have voluntarily agreed to turn off their analog signals at noon on September 8, 2008. Beginning at 12:00 pm on September 8, 2008, these local stations, WWAY (ABC), WSFX-TV (FOX), WECT (NBC), WILM-LP (CBS), and W51CW (Trinity roadcasting) will broadcast only digital signals to their viewers in the five North Carolina counties that comprise this television market.

Wilimington is a fairly small media market which I presume is why it was picked. But still a good count of the number of complaints will be a good indicator of how well the DTV trnasition is happening as a whole. When we get some information we will pass it on.

Linky.