The broadcasting industry is set to begin transmitting exclusively in digital on February 17th, but KOLO 8 flipped the switch early turning off our analogue signal just after 11:00 AM on Monday January 12th.

With the push of a button, General Manager Nick Matesi ushered in the era of Digital for Northern Nevadans. Viewers with sets that have not had the necessary upgrades to receive a digital signal suddenly saw a warning stretched across their screens informing them of the problem.

Matesi says the station chose to make the switch for a couple of reasons. The primary impetus is the need to upgrade Channel 8 transmitters, so viewers can continue watching their favorite programs on the same channel they’ve been for more than 50 years. Currently the station is actually broadcasting over digital channel 9, but will return to Channel 8 in February.

He also cites the versatility of digital broadcasts as a big motivator for the switch. Matesi says digital makes High Definition broadcasting possible, and because the channels can be split it will create a greater variety of programming for viewers using antennas.

Some viewers may have to rescan their converter box to find the new digital signal, but most people hooked up to a cable or satellite provider will be virtually unaware of the change. If you or someone you know still needs help switching from analogue to digital please check out the website below.