If you are in the approximately 25 percent of Minnesotans still getting television program through a roof antenna connected to a television with an analog tuner, you could be looking at a blank screen on Feb. 18, 2009.

Congress has mandated Feb. 17, 2009, as last day for the full-power television stations to broadcast in analog. After that, over-the-air TV broadcasts will only be in digital.

Minnesota has one of the highest rates of consumers still getting their television signal through an antenna system with analog television. About a half-million are in that category, and if they want to continue to watch their favorite network reality show in 2009, they have to make some changes.

They have three basic choices: Buy a digital TV, subscribe to a satellite or cable TV service, or pick up a converter box, according to Andy Lundbolm, an employee at Dostal Electronics in downtown Hutchinson.

Questions about the conversion to digital TV are answered on the business page of the May 13 Leader.

(Terry Davis is a Hutchinson Leader staff writer. E-mail him at davis@hutchinsonleader.com [2].)