The United States is making a major change in the way television programs are transmitted “over-the-air” to viewers.  The broadcasting system currently in place since the inception of the medium will be terminated on June 12, 2009 at 11:59 PM.  To be able to continue receiving “over-the-air” (as opposed to “over cable”) television after this date, action will be required by the public.

            Working with our television broadcasting clients, it has become clear that the public has no idea what the industry is talking about.  At meetings with local groups, our clients report a “glaze” over the audience’s eyes when a presentation about the change is presented.  “Analog” and “Digital” are terms the industry is familiar with, but this “jargon” is foreign to the general public.

As I watch the local stations here in our area, broadcasting messages and conducting tests, if I didn’t already know what was going on, I would no idea what they are talking about.  Fortunately, the change in the country’s television system is technical but it can be explained in non-technical terms to help the public understand what will happen in June. 

A suggested way of communicating the idea would be to say the “current system” or “the Old system” which would refer to the analog transmission system.  If we say the “New system”, this would refer to digital transmission system. 

The public needs to know that today, most stations are broadcasting the Old and New television systems simultaneously.  This means your old television set now receives programs via the old system.  If you recently purchased a new television set, it is most likely capable of receiving both the Old and New television systems.  What will happen in June 2009 is that the Old television system will be turned off.  Older television sets that use antennas (such as “rabbit ears” mounted on top of the TV, an antenna mounted on the side of the house, or an apartment building master antenna system) will no longer be able to receive television programs.

To be able to receive the New television system using your Old system television set, requires the use of a “converter box”.  This device receives the New system’s transmissions and coverts them to the Old system.  The converter box is connected between the antenna and the Old system television set. 

            If your Old system television set is connected to “cable” or to a “satellite” receiver, for the time being, nothing needs to be done since the cable and satellite boxes convert their signals to the Old system.  However, this may change some time in the future.

            When the Old system is turned off at 11:59 PM on June 12, 2009, some stations will be making technical changes that will require some action on the part of the viewing public.  If you have a converter box installed, you will need to access the installation menu for the converter box and “re-scan”.  You will also have to “re-scan” if you have a new digital television that is receiving directly from an antenna. The New system transmits data along with the television program that the converter box or digital TV uses to display the channel number and the program guide.  This only takes a few minutes and will permit uninterrupted reception of television programs. 

            It may also be necessary to adjust the antenna position.  Unlike the Old system that would produce a “snowy” picture if the signal was weak or the antenna was not adjusted correctly, the New system could provide a crystal clear picture or none at all.

            The promotional announcements made by the local stations are, I believe, misleading.  They say things like “the station will start transmitting in digital in June”.  Not so, stations are already transmitting in New system (digital) and in Old system (analog).  In June, the Old system goes away and only the New system remains.

            Because of the confusion, there is a high probability that some people will be caught unaware of the change in the television system.  As responsible citizens, we should take steps to make sure our parents and other senior citizens have taken the necessary action to ensure their continued ability to enjoy uninterrupted television viewing.