There's 36 days left until D-day.
MARQUETTE COUNTY -- The transition to digital television is just five weeks away.
As of January 6, more than two million converter box coupons have been requested in Michigan, but fewer than half of them have been redeemed.
"I'm concerned about the supply of converter boxes when we get right to the deadline," commented manger Mike Hainstock of Radio Shack in Ishpeming. "It's hard for a retail store or supply chain to anticipate last minute demand."
But so far, Hainstock hasn't run into any problems.
"The sales were strong all summer and into the fall," Hainstock said. "They kind of slowed down around Christmas, but since then, they've been back up."
Radio Shack in Ishpeming is not the only retail store that has converter boxes in stock. TV6 called 12 stores in Marquette, Houghton and Escanaba; all but one had the converter boxes in stock. Good news for those with the government-issued $40 coupons in hand.
By now, you've probably heard the news that funding for the TV converter box coupon program has run out, but don't let this discourage you.
"We don't want people to not apply for coupons," stated chief engineer Sonny Reschka of TV6. "They need to apply for the coupons and, therefore, get in line for when the next coupon becomes available."
TV6 has been broadcasting in digital since 2004 and Reschka says the station is ready for the switch to digital.
"We've been trying to educate people as to what's going to happen and how they can deal with it before the day happens," Reschka said.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC