DECATUR - Regular scheduled television programming may be interrupted throughout households in Central Illinois this evening, but it is only a test.

Several television stations are participating in a brief analog shutoff test that will help viewers determine whether they are ready for the nationwide digital television transition Feb. 17, when television stations will no longer broadcast analog signals.

WILL-TV, WCIA-TV, WICS-TV/WICD-TV, WAND-TV, WRSP-TV and WEIU-TV will conduct the one-minute test at 6:25 p.m.

Recent news of President-elect Barack Obama urging Congress to postpone the Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting will not affect the scheduled shutoff test today, said WILL-TV station manager Carl Caldwell.

"I have not heard from anybody about canceling Monday's shutoff," he said, "so we're going to go ahead with it."

He added the possible postponement may affect the additional shutoff test, scheduled for 10 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29.

The analog shutoff tests are designed to make people aware of preparations they may need to take for the digital transition. Namely, households that use rabbit ears, outside antennas or have analog television sets, meaning it picks up an analog signal, and aren't a cable or satellite subscriber, will need to prepare.

If a set is digital-ready, viewers won't see any interruption in programming Monday evening. But if the TV is not equipped, the viewer will see a message with information on how to prepare for the switch, including phone numbers to call for advice, a news release said.

Staff from each participating television station will gather at WILL-TV after the test to answer questions from viewers.

"I think there's still a great deal of confusion out there amongst consumers," Caldwell said. "We'll try to respond to as many questions as we can in the three-hour period following the test."

Viewers can call 244-9455 for information on the digital television transition after today's shutoff test.

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