With DTV Delay a Done Deal, Stations Debate When to Switch

The congressional decision to postpone to June the switch to digital television has placed a crucial decision in the hands of stations: Delay or proceed? If stations go forward and switch to digital broadcast signals on the original Feb. 17 date, they may leave unprepared viewers in the dark. But waiting until June 12 could cost stations hundreds of thousands of dollars, without any guarantee that audiences will be much better prepared for the DTV switch. Stations need to decide quickly whether they'll go ahead with the switch or wait, as the Federal Communications Commission has put a Feb. 9 deadline on broadcasters seeking to transition early. That has station managers balancing three options: Switch to digital-only signals early; run dual digital and analog broadcasts until June; or wait until the June date. Most stations are running dual signals, and few, if any, plan to run analog-only until the new deadline. All the options carry downside potential, particularly on the cost side.