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Bay Area TV Stations Plan More Analog Cutoffs In New Year

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By WALT BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 18, 2008

TAMPA - Concerned that large numbers of television viewers will be dazed, confused and left in the dark when TV stations go totally digital, broadcasters in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area are planning more analog cutoffs in January and February.

A three-minute test Wednesday evening resulted in just over 1,000 calls, according to representatives of the major network affiliates here.

Many of the callers wanted information on how to get the converter boxes that are necessary to receive digital signals on older TV sets. Other callers who already have converters apparently need help in properly hooking them up and operating them.

There are at least nine more test outages planned by Tampa/St. Petersburg stations, and some stations may do more before Feb. 17, when all of the nation's broadcasters will drop analog signals.

WEDU, Channel 3, for example, experimented with cutting off the analog signal twice Wednesday night.

WEDU's communications director said the station wants to run tests during children's programming and Saturday reruns of "The Lawrence Welk Show," which has a large elderly viewing audience.

WFLA, Channel 8, received the most calls Wednesday night (more than 600) and plans at least nine more three-minute tests during different times of the day.

Catherine L. Helean, vice president of marketing for Florida Communications Group and supervisor of Channel 8's analog test, says "there are still a lot of people out there who need help."

She said there were three levels of problems: people who weren't even aware of what to do; people who have the converters and don't know how to operate them; and people who have cable service and still had problems.

Apparently, some smaller cable providers within the area haven't fully switched to digital, she said.

Not all of the stations in the market have agreed yet to participate in the tests that WFLA plans. The next three-minute outage is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 5, between 7 and 9 a.m. (to catch those morning show watchers).

Others are Jan. 5, between 5 and 5:30 p.m.; Jan. 9, between 8 and 11 p.m.; Jan. 12, between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and between 6 and 6:30 p.m.; Jan. 17 (to be determined); Jan, 19, between 12:30 and 4 p.m. and between 11 and 11:30 p.m.; Jan. 26, between 6 and 6:30 a.m. and 7 and 9 a.m.

Dates in February include Feb. 2, between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.; and Feb. 9, between 11 a.m. and noon, between 12:30 and 4 p.m. and between 8 and 11 p.m.

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