TV stations to test digital TV broadcasts today

As we reported here last week, stations across the country will suspend analog broadcasts for a few minutes today so you can see how you'll fare when full-power stations go all-digital on June 12.

If you're not good to go, you'll see a message alerting you to that fact, but only on participating stations. You'll find a list of stations, organized by region, in this Excel file. Click on the tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet to see the listing for your area.

The tests will run for only a few minutes, at three points during the day. Times are included with the station listings.

"The soft test is a wake-up call to consumers telling them that the time to get ready for the DTV transition is now,” said Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael J. Copps in an FCC press release (Microsoft Word or compatible software required to view link). "We don’t want anyone to be left without the news, information and entertainment they need and enjoy."

If you see the message, you may need to take action. For help and more information, check our free Guide to the Digital TV Transition, our Guide to digital TV converter boxes (which includes free Ratings of DTV converters), or call 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-800-225-5322) for more information. —Paul Eng