WOWT Makes The DTV Switch

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Updated: 7:27 PM Feb 17, 2009 WOWT Makes The DTV Switch Analog signal ceased at noon Tuesday The first television station on the air in Omaha 60 years ago is now the first commercial TV station to go all digital. Our analog sign-off came at noon Tuesday. Posted: 3:02 PM Feb 12, 2009 Reporter: WOWT Email Address: sixonline@wowt.com

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The first television station on the air in Omaha 60 years ago is now the first commercial TV station to go all digital. Our analog sign-off came at noon Tuesday.

Channel 6 switched over to its digital transmitter. The vastly-improved picture quality is just one of the benefits. The more modern technology will allow a host of new interactive video and data services that simply weren't possible with 60-year-old technology.

All analog sets that receive signals from individual antennas will lose their signal from WOWT unless converter boxes are used to translate the new digital signals back to analog. Cable and satellite dish subscribers should not be visibly affected.

Viewers receiving WOWT digitally over the air will need to rescan their converter boxes and/or digital televisions.

With the switch we unfortunately lost a resource we know was valuable to many, our radio station 87.7 FM. You can no longer hear our analog signal over the radio. We understand this is a disappointment, but it is a side effect of the digital change over which WOWT has no control. WOWT is working on a solution.

The transition to digital should affect less than one percent of the Omaha market and WOWT wants to help our viewers make the transition a smooth one and we are prepared to do so, one viewer at a time.

If you have any questions on the transition, click on the above link or if you need assistance in connecting your converter box and getting a digital signal, please call 211 for direct assistance.

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WOWT Makes The DTV Switch

On February 17, 2009, the era of analog broadcast television in the United States will end as the nation completes its transition to an all-digital system.

While this change will mark the end of the traditional analog method of broadcasting over-the-air television, it won’t signal the end of free broadcast television, and your favorite broadcast programs and local television stations will still be available.

Consumers who subscribe to a "pay" television service such as cable and satellite aren’t likely to be affected by the switch, but if you currently receive analog television over the air or via an antenna, you’ll need to take action to continue watching your favorite stations.

TV sets that currently receive programming through cable or satellite are not likely to be affected by the transition to digital.

However, TV sets that rely on "over the air" broadcasting with an antenna (set-top or rooftop) to receive a signal will be affected by the cutoff of analog broadcasts in 2009. You will need to consider one of the following options:

Purchase a digital-to-analog converter box that plugs into an existing television. The boxes, which cost between $50 - 70 are available for purchase at most retailers. U.S. households can request up to two coupons valued at $40 each. Each coupon can go toward the purchase of a single set-top converter box that will allow you to continue watching FREE "over-the-air" television on an analog set. For more information about the DTV converter box coupons, call 888-DTV-2009 (888-388-2009) or go to www.dtv2009.gov.

Subscribe to a cable, satellite or telecommunications service provider if all desired local broadcast stations are carried by that service.

Purchase a new television set with a built in digital tuner. Any of these steps will ensure that "over-the-air" television consumers will continue to receive programming.

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