I want you to channel surf

This is the greatest country on earth. Not only do we mandate that every television station must soon be broadcast in beautiful high definition...

Starting Feb. 18, 2009, full-power television stations in the U.S. will turn off their old-technology analog signals and broadcast only in a digital format, potentially leaving millions of televisions displaying nothing but snow.

Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, says 36 percent of respondents in its survey were unaware of the transition - a big number, but much lower than what has been reported in studies from a year ago.

The great majority of consumers - anyone whose television is hooked up to a cable or satellite service or owns a digital set - will not be affected.

...but we will pay so that the poor saps stuck with antennas can get free converter boxes.

Keep television free and legal!