At the three weeks-and-counting mark, broadcasters nationwide have launched into what amounts to the final push to educate viewers about the cessation of full power analog TV broadcasting on June 12.

Stations not yet having made the cutover to digital-only operations are airing a new round of announcements geared to informing viewers that the end is indeed near. These will be frequently updated to reflect the urgency of preparing for DTV reception, stating, as the end gets nearer and nearer “seven days,” “two days,” “24 hours” etc. remain before the analog transmitter switch is pulled to the off position for the last time. The three-week countdown spot can be viewed at www.dtvanswers.com/dtv_30spots.html?b=97.

“America’s broadcasters are pulling out all the stops during these final weeks to ensure viewers are ready for the June 12 deadline,” said Jonathan Collegio, NAB’s vice president of DTV transition. “This critical on-air campaign culminates our industry’s billion-dollar education effort to educate consumers about this historic switch.”

On Thursday, broadcasters nationwide participated in analog shutdown "soft tests" to alert those analog viewers that have yet to switch to digital. From now until June 12, broadcasters will also be running messages advising viewers about the necessity of having a proper receiving antenna, how to rescan their converter boxes and other tips for closing the reception gap prior to June 13.

A recent Neilsen survey indicated that some 3.5 million U.S. households were not prepared for off-air DTV reception.