Digital TV conversion isn't creating a lot of waves

So far, so good.

Though some people woke up Friday morning to find their television programs missing from the airwaves, the nation's transition to an all-digital TV broadcast has thus far not resulted in pandemonium.

At least five stations in Los Angeles killed their analog broadcasts by early Friday afternoon. The rest turned off their analog signals at midnight. Although the full extent of the confusion is not yet known, the changeover is starting to play out in much the same way as the Y2K glitch that threatened to wipe out computers across the globe but ended up causing only minor headaches.

TV stations on the East Coast and elsewhere reported that the volume of calls from confused viewers was "low to moderate." Retail stores, girded for an onslaught of customers seeking digital converter boxes for their analog sets, found they had plenty in stock to satisfy Friday's spike in demand. And many viewers, though unhappy about the expense and inconvenience, appeared resigned to making the change.

Stations across the nation that made the switch earlier in the day reported receiving an average of 130 calls each by midafternoon Friday, according to the National Assn. of Broadcasters.

"Television stations are largely prepared for these calls and are doing everything possible to ensure a successful transition," said Jonathan Collegio, the NAB's vice president for digital television.

In Los Angeles, some stations reported even fewer calls. Asian-language station KSCI-TV Channel 18 turned off its analog signals at 11 a.m. Friday and fielded about 100 calls by midafternoon. Most of the callers asked for information on how to get a converter box and how to apply for the $40 government coupon for it, said Bill Welty, KSCI's vice president of engineering.

Public-television station KCET-TV Channel 28, which had turned off its analog signal Thursday night, had just 16 calls by late Friday afternoon.

"There was that moment when we turned off the signal and held our breaths," said Bohdan Zachary, KCET's vice president of broadcasting. "But it's been surprisingly quiet."

Things were also calm at the Cypress Senior Center, which got just four inquiries on the topic Friday, said the center's administrative assistant, Natalie Clark.