More than 6.5 million U.S. households -- or 5.7 percent of all homes -- are not ready for the upcoming transition to all-digital broadcasting and would be unable to receive any television programming at all if the transition occurred today, the Nielsen Company reported Thursday.
That translates into 5.7 percent of all U.S. households. In the Cleveland-Akron-Canton area in Ohio, Nielsen says 5.91 percent of households are not ready.
In Columbus, that number is 4.29 percent and in Dayton, that number is 6.88 percent.
Under government-mandated action, all television stations are required to switch to digital programming by February 17, 2009, which will leave viewers without a television signal unless they purchase digital television sets, connect to cable, satellite, and alternate delivery systems or purchase a converter box.
For information or to learn about the converter box, contact DTV Answers online or call (888) DTV-2009.
Among the 56 local markets that Nielsen measures with electronic meters, the one that is least ready is Albuquerque-Santa Fe, New Mexico with 12.4 percent of the households completely unready.
The most prepared market is Hartford & New Haven, Connecticut with only 1.8 percent of homes unready.
RELATED LINKS:
*Update on Digital TV, converter boxes and WKYC reception: CLICK HERE
*WKYC DTV Guide: CLICK HERE
*Post your questions in our DTV forum: CLICK HERE
