We now have two weeks under our belts since the original digital television deadline, and the switch by WSEE from analog to full-power DTV. So how is it going?

According to Scott Bremner, it sounds like the phones are ringing pretty regularly:

Given that over-the-air viewers are a relatively small part of total viewership, I would have to say that we have been getting a good amount of calls about not getting the new signal OTA (over-the-air). Far and away the vast majority of calls come down to having the right antenna and pointing it in the right direction. Many people simply hook up the equipment, turn everything on and then call us when they don’t receive our picture. Many seem unwilling to put in the time and effort to buy additional wire, move the antenna around the house and be sure to be pointed toward upper Peach Street where all of the towers can be hit. Our engineers tell them a rooftop antenna is the best set up but of course many are unable to do that. We have gotten some positive feedback that after tweaking the antenna for a while some viewers are now getting all of the full power stations from the various towers. But there is a fair amount of frustration, especially among older viewers.

It seems that many of the forecasts that stemmed from the Wilmington NC market early transition are coming true here. A decent antenna tuned correctly is the key to digital reception.

As much as the date change to June 12th was frustrating to most, it appears that this kind of “rolling switchover” of some stations switching before others is allowing those who just refused to deal with getting a box or antenna are now prompted to do what’s necessary to continue to watch TV in Erie.