TV's digital dilemma

For years, the nation's switch to digital broadcasting has been billed as the second coming for local television stations. But now that the big day has finally arrived, the digital revolution is only adding insult to injury in a deeply depressed local advertising market. The vast expansion of local TV real estate is becoming a reality for stations at the worst possible time. Station operators are having a tough enough time selling spots on their mothership channels, let alone finding advertising dollars to support programming on multiple feeds. Moreover, the June 12 cutoff of analog signals could also cost stations viewership, especially in smaller markets, where some homes are not equipped to receive digital TV. About 800 stations have already pulled the plug on their analog signals, but the remaining 1,000 or so won't go digital-only until June 12.