TV Worth Blogging
by David Thiel, Program Director for WILL-TV
An insider's view of public television programming and the issues that help determine what and how you watch
End Of An Analog Era
WILL-TV will be shutting down its analog transmitter for the final time on Tuesday, March 31 at 6:00 am. That's about six weeks later than the original national analog TV shut-off date of February 17, but about ten weeks shy of June 12, the new drop-dead date selected by Congress last month.
Of course, we're not going anywhere. WILL will continue to broadcast a digital signal offering high-definition programming and multiple channels.
We believe that the vast majority of our viewers are capable of receiving that signal, but if you are not, you'll need to take action sooner rather than later to guarantee uninterrupted service.
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If You Tried To Tune In Sunday...
All of WILL's stations were knocked off the air from 2:30 pm CDT until approximately 8:45 pm due to a power outage that affected most of the University of Illinois campus. Here at Campbell Hall, about two dozen volunteers and crew assembled for the first night of our March fundraiser waited patiently for the power to resume until we finally sent them home.
If you tried to tune in to WILL-TV (digital 12.1 or analog) yesterday, here's when to catch the shows that you missed:
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Vintner of the "Summer Wine"
Next Tuesday, WILL's viewers and listeners will have the opportunity to visit with the producer and director of the long-running British comedy Last of the Summer Wine when Alan J.W. Bell visits our studios in Urbana. How he comes to be here is an unusual story that speaks to the connections that WILL's programming makes with members of our audience.
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Resetting the Countdown Clock
On Wednesday, President Obama signed into law a delay to the previously announced analog television shut-off "hard" date. Instead of February 17, all U.S. TV broadcasters are now mandated to turn off their analog transmitters on June 12. This change was made in response to concerns over the long waiting list for digital converter box coupons, as well as surveys which suggest that millions of Americans are not yet ready for the switch.
However that doesn't mean that all broadcasters will be waiting those extra four months...
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Hangin' With Mr. Lincoln
I'm very enthusiastic about tonight's WILL-TV premiere of Lincoln: Prelude to the Presidency.
Oh, sure, I think that producers Alison Davis Wood and Tim Hartin did a great job on the documentary, and I personally learned a lot about the early career of the man who became our 16th President. But if I'm perhaps a bit too excited about it, it's because that's me on that horse!
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The Results Are In!
Chef! was the winner of last Saturday's 10th annual Great Britcom Vote. Fifty-two viewers called in to put Lenny Henry's Gareth Blackstock at the top of the heap. As for the other candidates...
