Commerce Secretary Locke says time running out for converting TVs to receive digital signals

Locke: Time running out for digital TV upgrade

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s administration says people who are still using analog television signals are running out of time.

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke (LOCK) on Wednesday urged people who still haven’t made the digital transition to hurry up. They face a Friday deadline to upgrade — or blank TV screens.

The White House successfully delayed the conversion from Feb. 17 until June 12. During that time, the Nielsen Co. estimates that the number of users who rely on analog television sets to pick up over-the-air broadcast signals dropped from 6.5 million to 2.8 million U.S. households.

Locke says customers who use cable or satellite signals, or who have newer models, are fine.