DAYTON, Ohio -- The Analog shutoff is complete, but the work on DTV continues at WHIO-TV.

When Congress delayed the digital transition in February, WHIO-TV was forced to postpone work on improving its digital signal. Now, that work is finally underway.

Tower climbers removed the old Analog antenna atop the WHIO-TV transmitter on Germantown Street in Dayton. On Monday, the station's new Digital antenna was hoisted into place. .

WHIO-TV signed on the first digital transmitter in Dayton in October 2001 and began broadcasting all newscasts in a 16:9 widescreen format on April 1, 2007 - the first Ohio station outside of Cleveland to switch to the new format. Until now, the station's digital signal has been transmitted from the side of the Germantown tower.

Once the permanent antenna is in place at the top of the tower, signal strength should improve for those receiving WHIO-TV's digital signal through an antenna.

WHIO-TV expects to have the work completed by late this week or early next week. The permanent transmitter will give viewers in the Miami Valley a stronger signal from WHIO-TV.

The current digital transmitter is and always has been mounted on the side of the tower, and will remain there as a backup transmitter.

During the course of the getting the new permanent transmitter in place, viewers may lose DTV reception for brief periods of time.

This is because the transmitter will need to be turned off so that our tower climbers can safely climb past the current antenna on their way up and down the transmission tower.

We apologize in advance for the inconvenience and will keep such interruptions to a minimum.