Viewers in state were all set for TV switch
Many in US thrown off, but here most prepared
Many people across the nation were unprepared for Friday's change to digital television, but less so in Massachusetts, where officials say the vast majority of TV watchers were ready.
"Boston is way ahead of a lot of other markets in terms of being prepared," said Rick Kaplan, a spokesman for the Federal Communications Commission.
Kaplan said the number of Boston and Massachusetts residents calling the FCC with DTV problems paled in comparison with other metropolitan areas.
One reason for the Bay State's success stems from local TV stations' strong participation in a federal program called the Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act, nicknamed "Nightlight," which is keeping those old TV sets with rabbit ears displaying static. Nightlight is a voluntary program that lets stations broadcast instructions over analog signals to help people who still haven't bought a converter box or upgraded their sets.
In Boston, Nightlight has helped prevent the run on FCC call centers seen elsewhere, officials said, because even the 28,000 or so TV households here that aren't prepared will be spared the shock of a blank screen as participating stations continue to churn out last-minute instructions.
Three stations in Boston - Channels 2, 4, and 5 - have signed on to the service, which will allow them to broadcast creative DTV instructions for 30 days, costing each about $12,000, according to Rick Zach, chief engineer at WCVB (Channel 5).
And they're not just traditional public service announcements. WGBH (Channel 2) is broadcasting an episode of "This Old House" that discusses DTV. Channel 5 is airing that episode plus a 30-minute interview between Zach and news anchor Susan Wornick about the changeover.
"If you tune to Channel 5, you'll see an instructional video that in pretty good detail and in very nontechnical terms explains what you need to do," Zach said.
The results have been good, Kaplan said.
"What's great about what they're doing . . . is it lets people know where to go to get help," Kaplan said.
Despite the general success across the state, people have had their share of problems with digital TV.
Several cable and satellite users reported having no trouble with their main televisions, but found that their spare TVs in the kitchen and garage weren't working anymore.
One reader said his kitchen television was great for mornings coffee, but stopped working, even with a converter box, after the DTV switch. "It will be NPR [radio] in the kitchen in the morning. Goodbye 'Good Morning America,' " said John Browne of Stow.
Gary L. Drescher of Cambridge was among several readers who told the Globe that WHDH (Channel 7) went blank on Friday and hasn't worked since, despite the fact that his television has a digital converter box.
A switchboard operator at Channel 7 said the station has been bombarded with calls since Friday.
"I called WHDH, and they said they've received many reports of this problem, but they were unable to suggest a solution," Drescher wrote in an e-mail.
Nightlight service is available in about 80 metropolitan areas across the country and in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. In New England, it's available on three Boston stations, and on WCSH-6 in Portland, Maine, and WFSB-3 in Hartford/New Haven.
Only one station in Chicago, WFLD-32, and two stations in the New York metropolitan area have signed on for Nightlight.
On Friday, when the changeover happened, nearly 11,000 New Yorkers called the FCC with DTV problems. In Chicago, more than 6,500 callers were logged. Only 357 calls were made from Boston, putting us in better shape than dozens of other metro areas, including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Detroit, and even much smaller cities like Tampa, Columbia, S.C., Toledo, Ohio, and Jackson, Miss.
Massachusetts itself fared among the best as well, with fewer logged calls to the FCC than about 30 other states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. California and New York had the most problems statewide with 39,000 to 42,000 calls made Friday alone. In Massachusetts, 1,781 people called with DTV issues.
If you aren't prepared for the DTV transition, you can obtain a coupon for a converter box by calling 888-DTV-2009 until July 31 or as long as supplies last.
You can also buy a converter box at various locations, from grocery to electronics stores
A saleswoman at the Back Bay Best Buy said yesterday that digital TV converter boxes have been flying off the shelves since Friday but that the store still has plenty in stock.
John M. Guilfoil can be reached at jguilfoil@globe.com 
