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Low-Power TV Stations
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The low-power TV stations have a limited broadcast range and a limited number of viewers in rural or urban areas.
They usually provide locally oriented television service in the communities they serve and many stations will be notifying viewers of their digital conversion plans.
A low-power station identifies itself on the air with the name of its community of license.
The call letters of these stations usually end in -CA or -LP (for example, WUYX-CA, KQTY-LP), although sometimes the call letters are in the same format as a translator station (such as W37AA).
TV translator stations rebroadcast signals from full-power stations. They typically serve communities that cannot receive the signals of free over-the-air full-power TV stations because they are too far away or have interference from mountains or uneven terrain.
Because translators rebroadcast the programming of full-power stations, they will be broadcasting messages about the digital transition (of the full-power station) that won't apply to them. These messages may be confusing if the translator stations are not also planning to convert to digital by February 17, 2009.
Check information sources in your local community regarding the digital conversion plans of the translators and/or low-power stations you watch.
To continue watching analog translator and low-power TV stations after February 17, 2009, review the following options and determine which is best for your household:
Analog pass-through allows you to watch analog television stations as well as digital television through the converter box.
Click here for more information on the analog pass-through feature
FYI: Since many translator and low-power stations will convert to digital after February 17, 2009, you may want to consider applying for a TV converter box coupon between now and March 31, 2009, because after that date, the coupons will no longer be available.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA.com) has issued this information about two low-power TV and translator programs:
and Translator Digital-to-Analog Conversion
Low-power television broadcast stations, Class A television stations, television translator stations, and television booster stations ("low-power facilities") will be able to broadcast in analog after the February 17, 2009 digital conversion deadline for full power television stations.
This program will provide funds to the low-power facilities that must purchase a digital-to-analog conversion device that will convert the incoming digital signal of a full-power television station to analog for transmission on the low-power facility’s analog channel.
The NTIA has authority to borrow up to $10 million from the Treasury for the program.
and Translator Upgrade Program
This program will reimburse the costs to upgrade analog low-power television broadcast stations, Class A television stations, television translator stations, and television booster stations in rural communities to digital transmission.
Payments up to $65 million are authorized for this program with funds for this program to come from the auction proceeds deposited in the Fund by June 30, 2008.
Click here for the FCC Consumer Advisory
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