Show of Ears

How many people out there own a television with a pair of rabbit ears? Don’t be bashful…Let’s see a show of ears. So you’re using Mr. Rabbit to tune into a picture? That’s not surprising…rabbits have a way of getting around.

Well…on June 12, 2009 your Rabbit will be…outdated…old technology…and no use to you. Hare today – gone tomorrow. When you turn on your TV all you will see is a test pattern…unless you get the converter box. Here’s a little carrot of information that should be easy on the eyes.

The reason for the switch to all digital is because digital bandwith takes up less air space than that of an analog signal. So there will be more air space available for alerts, and nationwide wifi. Wow…and I thought the government just wanted all rabbits out of it’s hair.

When my dad was in the Air Force we lived on Wheelus Air Force Base, Tripoli, Libya, North Africa for two years. I was in the 6th and 7th grade and enjoyed every minute…although we had to live with a few minor adjustments like powdered milk and bugs in our dry cereal. (A little sifting worked for both.) But the biggest adjustment was limited television.

The base had only one TV station…that aired at 4 pm. Most of the time the television screen was a test pattern. But everyday at 4pm, the broadcast would start with the National Anthem and the American flag waving. The broadcast ended at 10pm the same way. The only shows I remember seeing, that weren’t old movies, were reruns of The Big Valley and Gunsmoke. Dog and Pony TV. Occasionally someone will talk about a television show that I have never heard of…those were my lost TV years. But it’s a different scenario now.

We have so many channels and choices...that between HBO, HDTV, HoboTV…we can hardly keep up, so we use the DVR to record shows and watch later. We get so darned back logged …we find it’s a full-time job to watch all our Must-See TV.

Let’s just hope that on June 12th…we don’t encounter any hare-raising experiences resulting from old rabbits clashing with new technology...leaving The Big Valley and Gunsmoke…the only dog and pony shows left on Must-See TV.