Canada's digital TV transition happening now

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Just like the US two years ago, Canada is now going through the government-mandated digital TV transition in markets where either:

 

- The market is a federal or provincial (state) capital

- The market has more than 300,000 residents

- Or, the market has more than 1 television station.

 

The switch has to happen in these markets by August 31, 2011.

 

Unlike the US transition, the digital switchover has received little government support, and little promotion from either the government or the broadcasters themselves.

 

In addition, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has received government approval to continue broadcasting in analog beyond August 31 in mandatory markets where a CBC (English) or Radio-Canada (French) transmitter is present. Originally, CBC planned to shut down their analog transmitters in those markets and not replace it with a digital transmitter, meaning that medium sized markets like Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and London, Ontario would not receive CBC's digital service over the air.

 

On top of that, most television stations have been setting up their digital transmitters in the last few days, meaning that they have just been flash cutting to digital before the August 31 deadline. There has been no fanfare, special signoffs, or goodbye messages to their analog transmitters.