FCC boosts staffers to help DTV problems in Chicago area

If you had to re-scan a few times before you got your local TV channels over the weekend, you weren't alone.

Apparently, consumers in Chicago, as well as New York and Philadelphia, had an unusually hard time making the switch. Converter boxes attached to old analog TVs couldn't immediately find their favorite stations because those stations also changed channel locations. Locally, CBS Channel 2 and ABC Channel 7 were the culprits, especially for viewers further away from the city, and the FCC is sending more officers here to look at the problem, FCC senior counsel Patrick Webre said Tuesday.

"We're working on this constantly and it's our No. 1 priority," Webre said. "It involves a lot of highly technical issues, so it's difficult to predict when it will all be resolved."

On Friday, television stations nationwide switched to the digital signal. While most consumers were prepared, an estimated 70,000 in Chicago and the suburbs were not. Many people rushed to the stores at the last minute to buy converter boxes so their older analog televisions sets could work.

Consumers also had to rescan to make sure they would receive all of the channel signals. But it didn't always work. Some people here had to reposition their antennas, unplug the sets, erase the memory and then re-scan a second time, Webre said.

Also, while analog used to at least show snow or shadows if you were close to tuning in a station, the new digital stations just show a "no signal" message.

"That's when we encouraged people to use their signal strength meters to check to see if they are close," said Webre.

The agency issued a consumer advisory at www.dtv.gov/video/vid_rescan.html with more details.

Here's how to get other help:

•FCC: 1-888-CALL-FCC, and www.c-s-d.org

•Apollo Industries, (800) 504-5677 or (888) 388-2009

•AVO General Services, (888) 652-9128

•Best Buy, (877) BBY-DTV9 and AskABlueShirt.com

•For hearing-impaired, Communication Services for the Deaf: (877) 388-4968, (877) 889-4279 (TTY), (866) 351-1950 (video phone)