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Yakima Herald-Republic

By Yakima Herald-Republic, Wash.

Oct. 21--While there are still a few months left until all high-powered television stations transition to a digital signal, a Federal Communications Commission commissioner encouraged residents not to wait until the last minute to make the switch.

Jonathan S. Adelstein was in Yakima today to meet with local news media outlets and the community to answer questions concerning the transition, which is scheduled for Feb. 17, 2009.

The federal government has designated $1.5 billion for $40 coupons that can be used toward the purchase of a convertor box for existing analog televisions.

Since low-power stations are not required to make the conversion to digital, Adelstein also recommends purchasing a converter box that allows access to analog signals.

However, a convertor is not required for subscribers of satellite or cable or those who own newer televisions that can broadcast the digital signal.

"If people wait until the end, there will be a crush for convertor boxes, antennas," Adelstein said during a meeting with the editorial board of the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Adelstein said he is visiting places like Yakima that have a high percentage of residents who access television signals via analog broadcast signals. About 22.3 percent of Yakima County residents access television stations this way, according to Nielsen, which analyzes consumers' media habits. The national average is 11.9 percent.

In addition to the meetings, the FCC will have all television stations briefly turn off their analog transmitters at the same time today. The test is designed to remind viewers that they will lose the signal to several stations if they do not make the switch.

Making the switch to digital television will free up airwaves for other uses, such as emergency communications for public agencies and additional bandwidth for Internet wireless services.

For more information about the conversion or to receive coupons toward the purchase of a convertor box, log on to www.dtv2009.gov or call 888-DTV-2009.

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