Analog Nightlights Go Out

Television stations that were providing an analog "nightlight" -- broadcasting digital television transition information, news and information in the event of emergency -- ended the service on Sunday. "They are all supposed to be off by yesterday," said FCC spokesman David Fiske of the nightlight stations. "They signed up for a particular date, no later than July 12. We are not checking unless someone reports a station continuing to broadcast a full-power analog signal." Fiske said he knew of no reports of stations leaving their analog nightlights on. That would be unlikely, not only as a matter of law but of economics, since those stations were absorbing additional transmission costs at a time when extra money is hard to come by.