The big switch happens this Friday. After being pushed back once four months ago, analog television screens finally really will go blank, and a converter box will be needed to pick up digital TV over the air.

Jonathan Lawson with the organization Reclaim the Media says TV stations have been doing a good job explaining that the change is near – but the people who most depend on their old TVs with the rabbit-ears antennas are the ones who are least likely to know about the switch, and he says some can’t afford the change that’s coming.

Fort Myers TV statons did the switch in February.

“Free TV is a lifeline of public safety information and local news for a lot of people, and that’s more true for low-income folks, for seniors and for immigrants, than it is for any other groups.”

Reclaim the Media has been doing outreach for months to make sure people know about the free government coupons and also how to hook up their new digital TV boxes.

Lawson says Congress authorized digital TV coupons in an effort to keep television access free – even after the conversion. He says there are plenty of online sites where you can get a converter box for the value of the coupon, but finding a box at a local electronics store at the coupon value is not so easy.

“The government coupons, still available for free, will provide 40 dollars off the cost of the box, but unfortunately, local retailers have mostly been selling boxes in the 60 to 100 dollar range.”

WEDU, the public television station in Tampa, made the transition on the originally-scheduled date, February 17th. Laura Fage, vice-president of communications, says it was mandated by the federal government; it cost their station 14 million dollars and a year and a half of time helping viewers make the change.

“It’s technology moving forward; all of those things are always difficult for us to grasp, but once we do, we do see the power of new technology and how much it can benefit the community.”

Fage says digital TV will bring new stations to viewers, and free up traditional airwaves for emergency services.

You can learn more about how to convert your TV in time for the switch at the government’s digital TV information Web site www.dtv.gov