Some Canadians might lose access to U.S. TV stations starting Feb. 17, the first day that American broadcasters can move from analog to digital-only service.

Canadians who pick up U.S. stations over the air might suddenly lose their services unless they have bought a digital TV or have a set-top converter.

As many as two million Canadians tap into U.S. TV through rabbit ears or rooftop antennas, the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting said Thursday. When the U.S. stations convert, if Canadians aren't prepared, the signal "will just go blank," a spokesman said.

However, because the U.S. government on Feb. 4 adopted a delayed phase-in of the transition date, anytime from Feb. 17 to June 12, the loss of analog signals will vary from station to station.

Hundreds of U.S. stations, and perhaps even a majority of the1,796 full-power stations in the country, are likely to switch in February, the Associated Press reported Friday.

The major U.S. networks — CBS, Fox, ABC and NBC — will continue analog broadcasts till June on the 85 stations they own, but the picture is not clear among hundreds of their affiliates.

A PBS spokeswoman said about half of the 356 stations in the public broadcaster's network will go digital on Feb. 17. The PBS station in Seattle, KCTS 9, is watched in Vancouver. It has decided to continue analog operations to June 12 "in order to help viewers prepare for the switch," its website said.

Some stations are still undecided. WNED, the PBS station in Buffalo, N.Y., is considering its options, said spokesman Darwin McPherson.

It has many viewers in Toronto, and "because of our Canadian audience, we want to do what's best for them, too."

WNED has a web page about the digital switch for Canadian viewers. It said Canadians who use rabbit ears or aerials to receive U.S. channels and want to continue can:

  • Buy a DTV converter box, available for about $50 online.
  • Buy a TV set with a built-in digital tuner.
  • Subscribe to a pay-TV service.

U.S. experts estimate that more than 5.8 million American households are not ready for digital TV.

With files from the Canadian Press and Associated Press