On Monday, October 6th, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be coming to the Middle Tennessee area to raise awareness about the nationwide digital television (DTV) transition that will take place on February 19, 2009.

“It is important for Cannon County residents to understand that in less than 5 months, their televisions might not work anymore,” said Congressman Bart Gordon said. “Most people won’t be affected, but if you have rabbit ears on your TV, you will be.”

On February 17, 2009, all television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting an analog signal and begin exclusively broadcasting in digital. For viewers who have one or more televisions that receive free over-the-air programming (with a roof-top antenna or “rabbit ears” on the TV), you will need a digital-to-analog converter box to continue to watch broadcast television on that set. If you have a digital television or a television connected to cable, satellite, or other pay TV service, you will not have to do anything.

Converter boxes are widely available, usually costing $40-70, and the government is offering two $40 coupons per household to purchase boxes. You can apply for the coupons and find local and online stores that sell the boxes by calling 1-888-DTV-2009 or by going online and visiting www.dtv2009.gov.

“I encourage you to not wait until the last minute to get a converter box,” Gordon added. “Broadcasters are already broadcasting in digital and the converter boxes will enable you to get a crisper TV picture on your analog TV as well as pick up new digital TV channels.”

You do not need a special antenna to view the digital signal. However, if you get poor analog reception today, you may need to adjust your antenna to get the best digital picture. For information about what type of TV antennas will give you best reception at your home address go to www.antennaweb.org.

The FCC will be holding a Town Hall about the DTV transition in Nashville on Monday, October 6th, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. The event address is 511 Union Street, Suite 2700.