http://www.newsok.com/3-oklahoma-ci...article/3346392?custom_click=lead_story_title
At 1 p.m. today, the digital age officially begins for several Oklahoma City television stations.
KWTV-9, OETA-13 and KAUT-43 plan to switch off their analog transmitters at that time. KOKH-25 and KOCB-34 will go digital at midnight.
Television sets not connected to a cable or satellite service or without a digital tuner or converter box won’t be able to tune to those stations.
KFOR-4, KOCO-5 and KSBI-52 plan to continue to broadcast in analog. Congress recently extended the deadline for making the digital switch to June 12, so the stations have to make the switch by then. But about 600 stations nationally are expected to make the switch this week.
Several Oklahoma City stations plan to operate phone banks to answer telephone inquiries.
"I’m sure that we’re going to get some calls,” said David Griffin, president of Griffin Communications, whose three TV stations — KWTV-9 and Tulsa’s KOTV-6 and KQCW-19 — are all going digital. "I wish KFOR and KOCO were going on the same day. I think it would be easier for the consumer.”
Some viewers have complained about the long wait in receiving government-issued $40 coupons for digital converter boxes.
Griffin said he just got his last week after a six-week wait.
Steve Bottkol, director of engineering for KOKH-25 and KOCB-34, said the stations will not shut off the analog signal entirely for a couple of weeks, but will provide information on analog on what viewers need to do to receive the digital signal.
OETA’s 15 translators also will continue to operate in analog until the fall. Bill Thrash, OETA station manager, said translators are a different category from transmitters.
As of two weeks ago, Nielsen reported that only 3 percent of viewers in the Oklahoma City area, or about 20,000 homes, were not prepared for the switch.
At 1 p.m. today, the digital age officially begins for several Oklahoma City television stations.
KWTV-9, OETA-13 and KAUT-43 plan to switch off their analog transmitters at that time. KOKH-25 and KOCB-34 will go digital at midnight.
Television sets not connected to a cable or satellite service or without a digital tuner or converter box won’t be able to tune to those stations.
KFOR-4, KOCO-5 and KSBI-52 plan to continue to broadcast in analog. Congress recently extended the deadline for making the digital switch to June 12, so the stations have to make the switch by then. But about 600 stations nationally are expected to make the switch this week.
Several Oklahoma City stations plan to operate phone banks to answer telephone inquiries.
"I’m sure that we’re going to get some calls,” said David Griffin, president of Griffin Communications, whose three TV stations — KWTV-9 and Tulsa’s KOTV-6 and KQCW-19 — are all going digital. "I wish KFOR and KOCO were going on the same day. I think it would be easier for the consumer.”
Some viewers have complained about the long wait in receiving government-issued $40 coupons for digital converter boxes.
Griffin said he just got his last week after a six-week wait.
Steve Bottkol, director of engineering for KOKH-25 and KOCB-34, said the stations will not shut off the analog signal entirely for a couple of weeks, but will provide information on analog on what viewers need to do to receive the digital signal.
OETA’s 15 translators also will continue to operate in analog until the fall. Bill Thrash, OETA station manager, said translators are a different category from transmitters.
As of two weeks ago, Nielsen reported that only 3 percent of viewers in the Oklahoma City area, or about 20,000 homes, were not prepared for the switch.
