This just in: TVs are history

This just in: TVs are history

Since the average U.S. household watches eight or more hours of television a day, it's unbelievable to think that soon it will all be gone. At least if your TV has rabbit ears.

At midnight on Feb. 17, 2009, U.S broadcasters will stop sending analog signals to those old-fashioned sets, and the entire nation will go digital. Trouble is, most Americans don't seem to realize that airwaves will go silent -- and 70 million U.S. TV sets still rely on old-fashioned antennas to get a signal. The change comes as a result of legislation passed in 1996 allowing broadcasters to use the airwaves for newfangled digital signals. Some fear the elderly or non-English-speaking viewers, last to hear of the switch, will get left in the dark.

The horror. What will happen to the ad industry if 50 or 60 million homes lose TV signals in one night? Will citizens rebel? Civil war? No worries. Cable marketing execs say the last bill consumers stop paying when times get tough is usually the cable TV bill -- because we're all addicted. The lines may be long at Costco on Feb. 18, but by the next day, we'll all be back with flat panels -- ready to work our eight-hour shift.

Posted by Ben Kunz