The NAB has added 24 new call letter stations to its list of those broadcasting a terrestrial digital signal, which now totals 1,060. While the list has not always been completely accurate, it does show that stations are continuing to make an effort to bring DTV to the American public. Either that or their (in some cases third) six-month FCC extensions are running out and they don’t want to risk losing their license to broadcast.
The FCC-mandated deadline for all commercial stations to be on-the-air with a low-power DTV signal was May 1, 2002. Nearly 250 mostly commercial stations have yet to do so. Public broadcast stations, which are counted among the 1,060 on-the-air, were supposed to be on the air by May 1, 2003. PBS said currently 195 of its member stations are on the air.
The NAB also said that 82.19 percent of the more than 106 million U.S. TV households are in markets with five or more broadcasters airing DTV and 56.12 percent are in markets with eight or more broadcasters sending digital signals.
For more information visit the NAB.
