The transition to Digital TV will come early for a small number of viewers who watch one of six Wisconsin Public Television translators located throughout the state and use an over-the-air antenna. WPT will switch its six translators to digital-only broadcasts in early November.

Viewers who watch translator signals using an antenna will need to purchase a converter box or new digital television in order to continue receiving WPT.

Translators Conversion Schedule

The translators that will become digital-only between Nov. 3 and 7 are:
River Falls (channel 47)
Webster (24)
Bloomington (22)

Translators making the change between Nov. 10 and 14 are:
Coloma (48)
Fence (45)
Sister Bay (18)

The days and times of the switch cannot be pinpointed more exactly because the
technical crew will travel from translator to translator. This change affects only those who watch our translators using an antenna. Cable and satellite subscribers are not affected.

WPT will also maximize the power of all the digital translator signals in November.

What Is a Translator?

A translator is a low-power television repeater station that takes a distant incoming signal and rebroadcasts it at lower power on another channel. WPT uses the translators to fill in coverage from its full-power transmitters, which already broadcast Digital TV signals and will end traditional "analog" signals on February 17, 2009.

If you use an antenna to receive your TV broadcast signal from a translator, the channel dial setting on your TV will not match the channel number displayed by the station on the air. For example, if you are watching the translator in River Falls on channel 47, the station displayed is WHWC-TV from Menomonie (which is channel 28).

Resources

WPT coverage map with translators (need PDF)