WHIO-TV is re-filing with the Federal Communications Commission to change the date of Channel 7's analog cutoff to May 3rd, 2009.

With just four days remaining until the scheduled February 17th shutdown, up to 30,000 Miami Valley homes still appeared to be unprepared for the conversion to digital TV. Thousands of those viewers have applied for the government's converter box coupons, but the program ran out of money in January. New funding for the program is planned, but has yet to be passed by Congress.

"We applaud everyone who has taken the steps necessary for the digital transition and we ask for their patience for just a few more weeks," says WHIO-TV General Manager Harry Delaney. "Thousands of our neighbors remain unready, many through no fault of their own. It's our hope that a short delay will allow everyone to get access to coupons or converter boxes."

Channel 7 is currently broadcasting its digital signal on a backup antenna. In order to broadcast a clear digital signal to the entire viewing area, the station's analog antenna must be removed and a new permanent digital antenna put in its place at the top of our transmission tower. This work was scheduled to begin in March. WHIO-TV has worked to re-schedule this work until the first week in May.