…ends in 19 minutes from the time I start writing this. I’m watching KING-TV (the first analog telecaster in our corner of the world) as its original transmission ends after nearly 61 years. Right now, it’s transmitting a Today show segment about how to find the right-size bra.
KING’s sister station KONG just ran a segment on its local morning news about the big digital switchover. They said KCTS (the local PBS affiliate) has already shut off its analog signal.
KOMO’s been running a Good Morning America outdoor concert segment with the Jonas Brothers.
Back on KING, Today‘s got the Black Eyed Peas, with some backup dancers in black-and-white striped full body suits. How appropriate, for some of the last signals to be carried on the ol’ 525 horizontal lines.
The segment ended with the 57-year-old station-break cue: “This is Today on NBC.”
On KIRO, The Early Show offers Lionel Richie (now mostly known as a reality-show star’s dad) on the deck of a Navy ship, presumably at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The onscreen program guide says I missed a segment with Betty White, that living TV legend.
KOMO’s local news break has a predawn car crash and the arrest of a male suburban YMCA employee for allegedly abusing a 13 year old girl, plus traffic, weather, and one more warning about the death of analog.
KING’s last analog commercials: Eastside Vascular Vein Center and the Village Theater. KOMO’s last analog commercial: The Jewelry Exchange in Renton.
KING has now switched to an infomercial about the big switch, in Spanish with English subtitles. It was preceded by an announcement, in English, by KING 5 News dude Glenn Farley, saying the Anglophone version of the infomercial will follow.
KOMO’s analog signal, beamed since 1954, is now dead.
KIRO’s analog signal, beamed since 1958, is also now dead.
KSTW’s analog signal continues, for now, with Divorce Court. Not what I’d have chosen to close out an era in American communications technology.
Update, 10:54 a.m.: Just called the receptionist dude at KSTW. They’re keeping their analog signal on until noon today. This means the official last analog telecasts in Seattle will be reruns of judge shows.
Update, 12:27 p.m.: The final switch came at high noon. At the end of “Family Court,” a pretaped announcement said, “KSTW 11 is now ending its analog signal. Please stand by.” Then static.
