Low-power and translator TV broadcast stations, are exempt from the analog to digital transition and are able to continue broadcasting in analog after June 12, 2009.
Only the full-power TV stations had to switch to all digital broadcasting.
Low-Power and Translator TV Stations
No deadline has been set for these stations to go all digital. While some low-power and translator stations converted to digital in 2009 by choice, many will continue to broadcast in analog until required to change by the FCC.
The low-power TV stations have a limited broadcast range and a limited number of viewers in rural or urban areas.
They usually provide locally oriented television service in the communities they serve and many stations will be notifying viewers of their digital conversion plans.
A low-power station identifies itself on the air with the name of its community of license.
The call letters of these stations usually end in -CA or -LP (for example, WUYX-CA, KQTY-LP), although sometimes the call letters are in the same format as a translator station (such as W37AA).
TV translator stations rebroadcast signals from full-power stations. They typically serve communities that cannot receive the signals of free over-the-air full-power TV stations because they are too far away or have interference from mountains or uneven terrain.
To continue watching analog translator and low-power TV stations along with the digital stations, review the following options and determine which is best for your household:
Purchase a digital-to-analog converter box which has analog pass-through capability. Analog pass-through allows you to watch analog television stations as well as digital television through the converter box.
Purchase a digital television set. Most new television sets on the market can receive both analog and digital stations.
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