Each Tuesday morning at 8:30, representatives of all the commercial TV stations in Wilmington, N.C., get together on a conference call with NAB and FCC officials to plan for what will be one of the biggest events in the market's TV history.

At noon on Sept. 8, the stations in DMA 135 will become the first in the nation to switch to digital-only broadcasting — five months before their peers in the other 209 TV markets.

As of the posting of this story, the countdown-to-digital clock for most stations reads 215 days, 16 hours and 22 minutes. In Wilmington, it registers just 53 days, 3 hours, 22 minutes.

The conference calls are aimed primarily at making sure that viewers who rely on the over-the-air analog reception are aware of what's going on and are prepared to receive digital signals on Sept. 8.

Wilmington contains 180,000 TV homes and roughly 13,000, or 7 percent, count on over-the-air reception for TV service. And many more homes subscribe to cable or satellite, but have at least one old TV set still pulling signals in off air.

The early switch was cooked up by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin to help gauge what impact the analog-to-digital switch will have on the public well in advance of the nationwide switch on Feb. 17, 2009, when millions of homes will be affected.

"All the stations have been very cooperative," said John Greene, VP of special projects for Capitol Broadcasting, which owns WILM-LP, the CBS affiliate in the market. "I've never seen the stations get behind a single plan as they are doing now. We are going to pull this off."

The conference calls have "really helped us," says Thom Postema, vice president and general manager at Southeastern's Media's WSFX, the Fox affiliate. "The communications between everyone haave been key."

The NAB's Trekker will be making the rounds in Wilmington during the two weeks leading up to the Sept. 8 switchover.

In addition to WILM-LP and WSFX, the trial also involves Raycom's WECT, the NBC affiliate, and Morris Network's WWAY, the ABC affiliate.

Two of the stations have more to do than just public education. WILM-LP is scrambling to get its digital signal on the air, and WECT is moving to a taller, better situated tower to improve its digital coverage.

The commercial stations volunteered for the trial, although they may have been under some pressure to do so. Martin had a hard time finding a market willing to go first.

"I am actually glad that we've been the real guinea pig," says Postema. "I would rather go first and have the full attention of the FCC and NAB rather than go when the rest of the country goes."

The market's two public TV stations, WUNJ and WUNU, licensed to the University of North Carolina, have opted out of the trial because the state uses all the stations in the UNC system for emergency communications.

Working with the commercial stations, the FCC and NAB are pouring resources into the market, determined to alert all TV set owners and help them gear up for digital.

To continue receiving free, off-air signals, viewers must purchase a new TV set with a digital tuner or hook up their old TVs to a set-top box that converts digital signals to analog. The federal government is subsidizing the purchase of the $60 set-tops, offering two $40 coupons to anybody who wants them.

The FCC has a team of six led by Louis Sigalos in Wilmington working the five counties within the Wilmington DMA.

They have plastered the town with billboards announcing the DTV test.

Martin and fellow Commissioner Michael Copps, both North Carolina natives, have made frequent visits to the city. Martin was there last week taping interviews with WECT and WWAY.

Working through the National Black Church Initiative, the NAB is planning "DTV Sunday" on July 27 at the Union Missionary Baptist Church. Representatives will answer questions about the transition and demonstrate the converters. The Wilmington mayor has been invited to appear.

That same Sunday, the NAB and the NBCI will distribute 60,000 flyers and converter box coupon applications to hundreds of other churches.

NAB has produced Wilmington-specific flyers, other marketing materials and PSAs. The latest PSAs, for radio and TV, are scheduled to hit the airwaves in early August.

The NAB is also sending one of its two DTV Trekkers to Wilmington on Aug. 25 where it will remain until Sept. 8. The Trekker, a truck designed to look like a giant analog TV set, spreads the word at shopping malls, sporting events, county fairs and other places where people gather.

The Trekker will participate at the DTV Expo at the Coast Line Convention Center in downtown | More …