USA switches to digital... leaving millions behind

Millions of television viewers in the USA will be left staring at blank screens in a few hours (which, given the general standard of American TV, may actually be an improvement) when analogue signals are switched off nationwide and replaced with digital broadcasts. Rather than the (comparatively) drawn-out region-by-region approach currently underway here in the UK, the Yanks' digital switchover programme could leave 15% of the population without telly at the flick of a switch. The switchover was originally scheduled to take place in February, but was delayed to give consumers more time to prepare.