When kings of old passed away, the cry that was heard was "The King is Dead, Long Live the King" -- which meant one monarch died, and a new king had taken the throne. On February 17 of 2009, TV is dead, long live TV.

The entire country is changing to a newer technology. Actually, we''ve done it a few times already...AM radio to FM radio, records to CDs, home movies to VHS tapes to DVDs...and now, analog TV to digital TV. As vinyl records and CDs have to be played on different machines, so too does digital TV have to be played on a different kind of TV set.

Digital TV is a new way of broadcasting television. It has better picture and sound and can carry more information, more extras, and more TV channels from the same station. Other countries have already changed or will change their TV systems, just as we are. Basically, without getting into an engineering course, let's just say that after 110 years, it was time to update the way we've been using the airwaves.

Both the old and new TV systems are up and running right now, side by side, broadcasting through the air into your home. No matter what kind of set you have, you'll find ETV there, even with an antenna. But on February 17, 2009, the old system of TV broadcasting will be turned off forever. TV is dead, long live TV.

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For more information about ETV's Digital Television Services, contact:
Hap Griffin, Vice President, ETV Engineering
E-mail: Hap Griffin (hgriffin@scetv.org)
Office: (803) 737-3500