People in the northwoods are finding it more difficult to kick back and relax in front of the TV. Catherine Hannula reports.

Initially, Bennett resident Martye Allen believed the digital television transition helped her. In February, after she installed a converter box with a new antennae and her analog television set, she acquired more television channels than ever.

“We were very happy. Months went by. Suddenly in June everything dropped off except Fox and two of Channel Six stations and everything else was gone.”

The national digital television transition took effect on June 12th. Since then a lot of people are complaining that their television reception changed. Vivian Marx owns Arrow Associated Stores in Spooner. She says it will cost between $450 and $500 for her customers for new equipment and to try to keep reception.

“They have to have, for the most part, a new antennae. They have to have what’s called a preamp. And then you have to have the converter box. You have to have the additional cable, the Coax cable. And then, of course, you have to pay for the labor to get it all installed.”

Bob’s Boob Tube Electronics owner Mike Homann in Park Falls says his customers do not want to be forced to buy or lease satellite equipment when they should be able to get free television off an antennae. Even if they do, he says they won’t be able to receive local programming.

“Butternut is five miles from Park Falls. We are probably forty miles from Rhinelander but yet they’re making us get stations outta Duluth that are probably better than eighty miles, probably ninety miles. So when they converted this antennae stuff, they just messed up a lot of people in this area.”

In the meantime, Homann says his customers watch less TV and then just the local PBS channel. Allen says the lack of TV has inspired her to do more reading among other activities.

“We’re getting a lot more done around the house. Actually, getting to bed a little earlier. It’s been kind of a blessing in disguise. On the other hand, you know, you just kinda want to lay up on the couch with a bag of potato chips and watch something stupid on television. And now we can’t even do that!”

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