KVMD(TV) gets early analog exit

KVMD(TV) Twentynine Palms, Calif., can turn in its analog channel and
broadcast solely in digital TV, the Federal Communications Commission said Thursday.

The early return of analog spectrum is being permitted because KVMD
demonstrated that nearly all of its viewers receive the station's signal via cable or satellite,
making traditional over-the-air reception -- the overwhelming majority of which
remains analog across the country -- unnecessary.

To inform any unexpected analog-dependent viewers, KVMD was ordered to
announce the switch once between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., four days per week until
analog transmission ceases.