DTV transition set for next week — in Wilmington, N.C.

The town's five TV stations will go all-digital starting Monday, a full six months before the rest of the nation takes the DTV plunge—and the FCC is working hard (maybe too hard, some say) to ensure the test scores a home run.

I've blogged before about cities that are conducting simulated dry-runs for the impending analog TV signal shutdown, but next week, Wilmington will do the real thing—its five local TV channels will switch to digital-only broadcasting, and antenna-only households without a digital TV will go dark.

But as the L.A. Times reports, the FCC, which has a lot riding on next week's test, seems determined to make sure no one gets caught by surprise.

Indeed, about a dozen FCC officials have spent the past four months fanning out across Wilmington, making sure that anyone who gets their TV signals over an antenna knows how to deal with the looming DTV transition, according to the Times.

However, the story also notes that some consumer advocacy groups—including Consumer Reports publisher Consumers Union—complain that the FCC is stacking the deck with the Wilmington test.

For example, most TV markets will only get a handful of FCC staffers visiting for just a few days, compared to the dozen or so FCC'ers who've been scouring Wilmington almost the entire summer (including personal visits from FCC Chairman Kevin Martin himself). Also, only about 8 percent of Wilmington's viewers rely on a TV antenna, versus 12 percent for the rest of the country, the Times reports.

Overall, however, I think a DTV test run is a smart move. FCC commissioners have also promised that they won't just kick back and relax if the Wilmington DTV test is a success, and that they'll apply any lessons learned before the big day: February 17, 2009. Let's hope so.

In any case, I'll report back next week on how Wilmington's DTV test run went—and while I'm on the subject, you're all set for the switch, right? Click here for a DTV transition refresher.

Related:
Wilmington, N.C., ready for switch to digital TV [Los Angeles Times]