DTV Switch: WRSP Hitches 'Minimal'

By Andrew Krukowski

Peter O’Brien, general manager of Fox-affiliate WRSP in Springfield, Ill., said that any hiccups at his station during the digital transition were “minimal.”

The Springfield-Champaign-Decatur market is the 84th largest market in the country, with 386,000 households.

For TVWeek's comprehensive coverage of the digital television transition, visit the DTV Switch Navigator page.

After switching over last night, Mr. O’Brien said his station received about a dozen calls today.
“I anticipate there might be a few more calls tonight with people tuning into ‘American Idol,’” he said.

Currently, WRSP’s analog signal is running at low power, and broadcasting a nine-minute National Association of Broadcasters-provided video in English and Spanish about how to make the digital switch. He said the analog signal will run the video for the next 10 days.

“I truly believe as broadcasters, we’ve done a very good job at educating the public,” he said.
Most of the calls today, he said, had to do with obtaining a convertor box, plus some troubleshooting.

No one should have been caught unaware of the transition today, he said.

(Editor: Baumann)