Congress passed a federal law, the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005, mandating the last day of full power analog television broadcasting to be February 17, 2009. On February 17, 2009, all television channels in the US will convert from analog to digital. What does this mean to you?

"This is the end of a 10 year transition," said Bart Forbes, public affairs specialist with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. "This will mainly affect a few people who don't have digital or satellite television."

More than 50% of American homes now have a digital television set. More then 85% subscribe to a cable or satellite provider, and none of those consumers will be affected by the analog to digital transition, because they do not receive transmissions over the air. The only households to be affected are the ones without digital TV, and who receive transmissions over the air by antenna, which represents about 11% of the American households today. This 11% of the population is eligible to receive two coupons from the Department of Commerce, each coupon good for $40 discount on the purchase of a special converter box that will allow traditional analog sets to use the new digital transmissions. Converter boxes are expected to sell for $40 to $60 each.

Converter boxes will soon be available in many of the nation's largest retailers. Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Sears and Circuit City will carry the boxes. Congress has allotted $22.5 billion to subsidize consumer coupons for discounts on the purchase of these converter boxes. An additional $11.25 coupons will be issued once the first set of coupons runs out. Coupons will not be issued until the converter boxes are available in stores. If you have a cable or satellite provider, refer to the web site or contact your local provider, as you most likely do not need a converter box or any additional equipment. If you have rabbit ears on top of your television set, then it may be time to plan a trip to your local retailer to find out when the converter boxes are coming to town.

"Most people 50 and older watch five hours of TV a day," said Sean Voskuhl, associate state director for AARP in Oklahoma. "People over 65 also tend to have an older TV."

Some advocates of senior citizens are concerned that the analog to digital transition will affect senior citizens more than any other segment of the population. Nursing homes, group homes, and similar institutions do not qualify for the converter box discount coupons. Sean Voskuhl said that he is concerned of the impact on senior citizens because of the amount of TV that they watch. According to Nielsen, the New York based firm that rates television viewing, it is just over six hours a day for those over the age of 55. Voskuhl recommends senior citizens apply for coupons early, but since many of these older Americans do not use computers, the options may be confusing.

The transition will not be from analog to high definition television (HDTV), which is the highest level of TV service. HDTV sets already are equipped for digital service.

"Nothing will change for people with cable or satellite dish," said Dennis Whitman, of Fastpipe Media. "HDTV's sold now already have a tuner that serves the same purpose as a converter box."

The FCC advises viewers to check for any of the following: "Integrated Digital Tuner", "Digital Tuner Built In", "Digital Receiver", "Digital Tuner", "DTV", "ATSC", or "HDTV" on the set or the instruction manuals. When in doubt, contact the television manufacturer or the original retailer.

Digital Televisions are the market leader in consumer products, making up more then 16% of the $160 Billion spent on consumer electronics devices. Any television sold after May 25, 2007 is required to have a digital tuner or the seller is required to disclose that it does not have one.

"There is another aspect of this transition that is going largely unnoticed," said Mark Balinski, Senior Manager of Business Development for ZSL, Inc. "As the American consumer embraces the higher quality of digital television, HDTV, and the flat form factor of LCD, the old analog picture tube devices are being unceremoniously dumped with increasing regularity. Those clunky analog CRT devices and antiquated VCR's are not even considered hand-me-downs anymore. They are becoming poisonous electronic waste in our landfills."

Mark Balinski is at the forefront of a growing coalition to cope with the e-waste solution. Recognizing the challenges posed by the diverse legislation being proposed by individual states, Mark is developing a solution to track controlled substances and materials from the manufacturing process through the consumer electronics lifecycle, and back through recycling and reclamation. The proposed solution simplifies the process for government agencies, manufacturers, retailers, and the end-user consumers. "Our goal is to turn electronic waste into the new raw materials for future products, and to save more of our natural resources for future generations to enjoy," said Mark.

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Words of Wisdom

"Don't you wish there was a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence? There's one marked 'Brightness,' but it doesn't work."

- Gallagher

"When the politicians complain that TV turns the proceedings into a circus, it should be made clear that the circus was already there, and that TV has merely demonstrated that not all the performers are well trained."

- Edward R. Murrow

"It is difficult to produce a television documentary that is both incisive and probing when every twelve minutes one is interrupted by twelve dancing rabbits singing about toilet paper."

- Rod Serling

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John Mehrmann is a freelance author and President of Executive Blueprints Inc., an organization devoted to improving business practices and developing human capital.