*Source: IHT (
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/06/.../digital.php)*
_______
At midnight on Feb. 17, 2009, the rabbit ears and the rooftop antennas that still guide television signals into nearly one of every five U.S. homes will be rendered useless - unless they are tethered to a new device.
Two versions, which the government will spend as much as $80 a household to help families buy, were unveiled Wednesday.
The V-shaped rabbit ears, which have stood sentry in some living rooms and dens since the early 1950s, risk going the way of the eight-track tape player or Betamax in 20 months. That is when local television stations will cease sending their signals over the analog airwaves and instead begin transmitting their programming exclusively over the more modern digital spectrum.
More...