ORLANDO STATIONS TO CONDUCT DTV TESTS

To prepare viewers for the end of analog TV on Feb. 17, 2009, 11 stations in Central Florida have agreed to simultaneously turn off the video to their analog signals for one minute on three occasions before the end of the year.

The first of the analog blackouts is scheduled for June 25 at 7:59 p.m., according to the consortium of cooperating stations, all in the Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne market (DMA 19).

In advance of each test, the stations will promote the test and explain why it is being done.

On each participating station’s digital broadcasts, and on cable and satellite systems that receive direct feeds from the station, the station will notify viewers that they have successfully passed the test. 

At the conclusion of each test, stations will notify viewers that if their screen went blank they need to take corrective action and should try again during the next scheduled test.

Also, during the test broadcasts, each station will provide information to help viewers who need to take corrective action and resources for additional DTV transition assistance.

“One of the biggest questions viewers have is ‘will this affect me?’ This test will answer that,” says consortium spokesperson Richard Monn, chief engineer for Hearst-Argyle Television’s WESH/WKCF.

“To the best of our knowledge, the market-wide test we’re proposing has not been utilized or attempted by any other alliance of broadcasters in the country.” 

In addition to WESH and WKCF, participating stations include, WKMG (Post-Newsweek), WFTV/WRDQ (Cox), WCEU (Daytona Beach Community College District), WMFE (Community Communications Inc.), WVEN (Entravision), WOTF (Univision), WTGL (Good Life Broadcasting) and WBCC (Brevard Community College).