Digital TV may leave some out

<p>Nearly a fifth of the nation's full-power TV stations will no longer reach at least 2 percent of viewers now covered by their existing analog signals after they switch to digital broadcasts in February, federal regulators say.</p><p>The Federal Communications Commission report comes amid mounting concerns that some consumers who rely on analog-only TV sets could lose some or all over-the-air broadcast channels following the Feb. 17 digital transition even if they have purchased and hooked up digital converter boxes.</p><p>That's because many TV stations will shift their broadcast footprints with the mandatory transition by changing transmitter locations, antenna patterns or power levels.</p><p>Some viewers could also lose signals because of what's known as the digital "cliff effect." Unlike analog signals, digital broadcasts either come in clear or not at all.</p><p>-- Press Democrat news services</p>