[tron3]

Yes, 2006 is the day the FCC wants to stop all analog TV tranmission in favor of digital only. Though, that date may move to 2008.

Why are we screwed? Because, have you tried getting HD reception with a tv top antenna? I do. I get some great channels, but not all of them.
Even with adaptor boxes for analog TV's, people stand to lose most of their channels. Rabbit ears are not affective and the perfect antenna doesn't exist. And it won't exist because they can't compensate for the bouncing and/or blocking of UHF digital signals. VHF penetrates better, as do all lower frequencies. (They use VHF for digital overseas)

This affects viewership which affects what TV stations can charge the commercial advertisers. This is bad....VERY BAD. How will communications to the masses be affected in case of natural diasaster?
How many old folks in FL would have never seen the story of the hurricanes because they can't afford those expensive converter boxes, or can't learn to use the TV because they are old and set in their ways?

In short, the Cable and Dish companies will OWN us. Think service and billing sucks now? Try adding double or triple the load on the exisiting service providers. Try getting a tech guy to install your service within a week. try NOT being on hold when the flood of calls pour in. Try even getting an open phone circuit! "We're sorry, all circuits are busy..."

Free TV will be a virtual thing of the past. And many people in apartments will have little to no choice for TV reception because they can't get a rooftop dish or cable. By law, if they have a terrace, they can get DISH, but are they facing the right way to get reception?

Conspiracy to end all free tv? I don't think they are that informed on the issue. It's more like ignorance. But the kind of ignorance that will make the predicted YK2 issue come to fuition. Only a few years late and millions of viewers short! Free TV can be a thing of the past.