City Stepping In To Help With DTV Transition

A recent Nielsen report listed Austin as the fourth least-prepared city in the country for the upcoming DTV transition. In less than two weeks when television stations end their analog transmissions and broadcast only a digital signal, up to 30,000 Central Texas households could lose their television reception.

Because television remains the most widely used resource for news and information, the June 12 cutoff date has public safety implications. In an emergency, necessary information may not reach homes that don't make the switch over to digital.

That's why the city is sponsoring a DTV Walk-In Help Clinic to provide free assistance to those who have questions about the switch. The clinic runs through June 12 at the DeWitty Job Training and Employment Center (2209 Rosewood Avenue, Suite 210).

Chip Rosenthal, chair of the city's Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission, said it's important to help out your neighbors who may not have the technical skills to manage the DTV transition.

"If you are one of the 95-plus-percent people all ready for the transition, that's great, but please take a moment to check with friends, family, and neighbors," Rosenthal said. "Although everybody knows about the converter box option by now, there are still some people who are intimidated by the technology and could use some help."

An easy way to check whether your TV is ready for the transition: Tune to KEYE (CBS 42). KEYE converted totally to digital back in February. If you can see KEYE then your TV is ready. If you can't get KEYE, then you may need to take action to receive digital broadcasts.