Finally, the turnoff of analog over-the-air television is going to happen. With June 12 set as the kill date, there are going to be no more delays. The fat lady will finally sing.
So what will happen on June 12? In short, nothing.
Oh, a few "shocked" on-air viewers will scream bloody murder when their analog programming disappears. But after a few days, their complaints will die down and be forgotten. Since most problems will only be solvable with an expensive new television antenna installation, most will bite the bullet and pay for cable. The cable companies are ready, with very cheap $10 a month plans for the first year. Then, zoom!
Most people already pay for their TV. Soon, anything worth watching will cost some kind of subscription fee. The dirty little secret with this whole transition is that it's disguised as progress. In fact, it's the beginning of the end of free TV and local stations.
So be it. Free TV has done little for the people who watch it. Perhaps a few will just turn the damn thing off and doing something else with their time -- like read a book or have an actual conversation. One can only hope.
