One Week Until Digital TV Switch on KMOT-TV North Dakota's NBC News Leader

One Week Until Digital TV Switch | Video

Kevin Gribble

2/9/2009

Next week, this station is switching to a digital signal.

Many other stations are now waiting until June, but we here at NBC North Dakota News are sticking to the original plan.

This is a very confusing subject, which is why many people still are not ready.

Just last week, Congress pushed back the date for television stations to switch to only a digital signal until June 12. But here at NBC, we`re still planning to switch on February 16. That`s just a week away. There are several reasons why this station is not waiting until June. For one thing, running the old analog signal for the next few months would have cost tens of thousands of dollars. But that`s not the main reason. For Bismarck, it`s because the old analog equipment is starting to fail and is more or less unfixable.

"You can`t get parts to replace these old parts because they are outdated and people aren`t making them anymore," says Dick Heidt, the general manager of NBC North Dakota News.

And when you think about the logistics behind upgrading the signals in Bismarck, Dickinson, and Williston, the reason becomes even more clear.

"Crews have been hired," Heidt says. "Equipment is in. Equipment is standing by. And so it`s just time to do it."

Eighty-nine percent of the households with televisions in western North Dakota get their local television stations from cable or satellite. That means they will not have to change a thing to get ready. The remaining 11-percent of households use an antenna and fall into one of two categories.

Some of you may have a TV with a built-in digital tuner. All TV`s made after March 1, 2007 were required to have one. You can check your TV or instruction book to make sure. If you don`t have a built-in digital tuner, you`ll need a digital converter box. Digital converter boxes take the new digital signal and convert it to the old analog signal and then send it to your TV.

They cost about $50, and the government is offering up to two $40 discount coupons per household.

With either option you will need to make sure you have both a VHF and UHF antenna, and you`re set.

The only catch with the coupons is that the government is out of them at the moment.

You can log onto www.DTV2009.gov to put your name on a waiting list.

BACK TO REGIONAL STORIES

Search News Stories

BACK TO NEWS HOME

Sister Stations: KFYR TV in Bismarck, KUMV in Williston, KQCD in Dickinson