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WNED President and CEO Donald K. Boswell announced that the public broadcasting station will convert to all-digital television broadcasts, terminating analog signals, as of April 16, 2009, about two months before the date mandated by the U.S. government (June 12, 2009). Many stations across the country ended their analog broadcasts on February 17, the original F.C.C. deadline, and reported minimal consumer disruption.
The decision was prompted by the costs associated with analog transmission. Switching to digital will achieve energy savings of about $32,000.00 US. Last month, WNED reduced staff and executive salaries and laid off employees in a move to preserve long-term financial stability.
“While we know some U.S. and Canadian viewers haven’t made the move to digital, we had to take these difficult economic times into consideration,” Boswell said. “WNED and other local broadcasters have engaged in concerted educational campaigns to raise awareness of the digital transition; and currently, we feel that the majority of our audience is ready.”
The end of analog broadcasts will affect only viewers who still receive television signals over-the-air via antennaon sets with non-digital tuners. Anyone with paid television service (via cable, satellite or phone lines), newer TV sets with built-in digital tuners or DTV converter boxes will automatically receive U.S. digital television signals.
WNED’s Website, wned.org, offers more information about digital conversion for consumers and includes a special page for Canadians. Other general information can be found by contacting:
Through WNED-TV, ThinkBright TV, Classical 94.5/WNED and WNED-AM 970 The Information Station, the member-supported WNED Buffalo/Toronto provides high quality programming and services that enlighten, inspire, entertain and educate our communities. Additional information about WNED can be found at www.wned.org. |
