The Federal Communications Commission was inundated Thursday with a record number of calls during a nationwide “soft test” to help television viewers know whether they’re ready for the upcoming switch to all-digital broadcasting.
The center set up to take calls during the trio of five-minute tests logged more than 55,000 inquiries — it typically handles 15,000 a day — the most from Chicago, followed by New York, the FCC said.
Locally, channels 2, 4 and 31 — scheduled to go all-digital on June 12 with the rest of the nation — received few calls from viewers during the soft tests, representatives there said.
Channels 7, 9 and 20 made the transition April 16.
The five-minute on-screen message was viewable only by consumers whose televisions are not set up to receive a digital signal. The message carried a telephone number people could call for more information. Only those who rely on an antenna connected to an analog television are affected by the transition. They require a converter box that will allow their set to receive digital programming.
The majority of calls to the FCC were to seek information about the government’s $40 coupon toward the purchase of a converter box. The limit is two coupons per household.
Nielsen estimates 186,130 households in the Denver market rely on free over-the-air television. Nationally, an estimated 3.3 million households remain unprepared for the digital-TV switch.
Channel 4 is scheduled to air “Digital Conversion: Why Doesn’t My TV Work?” Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Channels 2 and 31 will air a similar program later.
David Migoya: 303-954-1506 or dmigoya@denverpost.com
Getting a coupon
Consumers can request converter-box coupons at or by calling 888-CALL-FCC (888-225-5322).
