Stations Prepare For Soft Analog Shut-Off Test Thursday
Stations will simulate shut-off three times during the day
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/20/2009 11:22:15 AM
Related: The DTV Countdown: Complete Coverage of the DTV Transition
The National Association of Broadcasters says stations are gearing up for tomorrow's soft analog shut-off test. All the networks and their owned stations are participating, as are stations in all but a handful of markets, according to the FCC's database, with the rest still "pending."
Most stations will simulate the analog shut-off--happening for real on June 12--three times during the day, airing either a text slate or a video explaining the transition. Generally the tests will come at 7:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and will last from two to five minutes.
NAB says 400 stations have already conducted soft cut-off tests. According to Shermaze Ingram, NAB's senior director of media relations for the DTV transition, the tale of the DTV transition tape breaks down this way: 972 stations will transition on June 12, while 788 stations have already made the transition. Of those 788, 213 went before Feb. 17, the original analog cut-off date, 416 pulled the plug on Feb. 17, and 159 will have done so sometime between Feb. 17 and June 12.
The FCC said Tuesday that the test would be a "wake-up" call.
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The testing seem like a BUST here in the Seattle market.
As of the time of this posting, 1320 HR, only one test has been run by one of the 10 analog stations, and that test was not at one of the times specified. According to the "plan" I should have seen 20 tests; i.e. 2 per station (one at 0730 and one at 1230).
Howard Briggie - 5/21/2009 4:23:01 PM EDT
