Changeover to digital signal on hold

The move from analog to digital television will have to wait.

A recent vote by the U.S. House of Representatives suspended the transition originally scheduled for Feb. 17 until June 12.

The measure has already passed the U.S. Senate and will head to President Barack Obama’s desk for signing into law. 

Approximately 6.5 million homes are not prepared for the transition according to the Nielsen Co. and there is an unfunded backlog of 3.7 million requests for the $40 federal subsidy coupons.

Troy is prepared for the transition and is already receiving digital signals.

Libby, however, will continue to convert the digital signal back into analog with antiquated translators.

Jim Nelson of the Libby Video Club said the Montana stations would hold off their digital broadcasts until June. However, the Spokane ABC station, channel 64, will be lost until early summer when the translators atop Indian Head can be reached.

“The Video Club is doing what it can with current translators and funding to keep things going,” Williams said.

“Anyone using our signals right now doesn’t have to do anything,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what kind of TV you own, we are doing the digital conversions at the translators,”

Williams recommends that anyone who does have a TV made before 2007 apply for the federal conversion box subsidy so when the time comes they will be prepared for the digital signal. 

Proponents of the delay said it would offer time to adequately fund the program. Obama’s administration recommended the delay on Jan. 8, saying many are not ready for the transition.

According to Federal Communications Commission, 479 of the 1,796 major TV stations nationwide plan to terminate analog service on Feb. 17.