The term digital TV transition refers to the time period during which broadcasters are making the switch from analog to digital broadcasting. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 granted broadcasters an additional 6 megahertz of spectrum to make the transition from analog to digital TV, so that analog spectrum could eventually be returned to the government for use by public safety and other services. Congress has postponed the date by which full-power broadcasters must turn off their analog signals and broadcast only in a digital format from February 17 to a new deadline of June 12, 2009, at which time broadcasters must return their analog spectrum and begin broadcasting in the digital format only.

TV stations serving all markets in the United States are airing digital television programming today, although most will continue to provide analog programming through June 12, 2009. At that point, full-power TV stations will cease broadcasting on their current analog channels, and the spectrum they use for analog broadcasting will be reclaimed by the government and put to other uses.

All TVs hooked up to Cox cable or digital cable will continue to receive a signal from Cox. Consumers with older TVs (without a built-in digital tuner) that are not hooked up to cable have three options:

• Purchase a converter box that will down-convert the digital signals into analog
• Purchase a new TV with a digital tuner built in
• Subscribe to cable

Cox recognizes that some customers will still have analog-only TVs at this cut-off date. Therefore, Cox will continue to offer an analog signal option for at least three years after this deadline for those customers that have not upgraded all TVs to Cox digital cable. The signal will be down-converted from its digital format, enabling customers to receive both over-the-air digital programming as well as digital cable programming in an analog format.