A third of all full-power television stations are now broadcasting only in digital, after completing the first wave of America’s historic switch to digital television last week.

On February 17, 421 stations switched to digital and joined 220 stations that had already switched successfully prior to that date. An initial survey conducted by the National Association of Broadcasters immediately following the transition found that broadcasters in many television markets experienced relatively low call volume.

These findings support data released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding calls it received on February 17. Of the estimated 12.4 million exclusively over-the-air TV households impacted by the switch, the FCC reported only 28,000 viewer calls – an incredibly small percentage of those affected. While call volume has generally been low, there were some hotspots that received more calls due to unique market situations.

"The smooth transition thus far proves that the tireless efforts of America's broadcasters to prepare their viewers have paid off tremendously," said Jonathan Collegio, NAB vice president for the digital television transition. "The information gleaned from stations that have already gone digital will help prepare the remaining viewers, as broadcasters nationwide complete America's historic transition to all-digital broadcasting."

NAB's initial survey of impacted markets found that stations received on average between 50-200 calls. Viewers primarily had questions about converter boxes and rescanning issues, and stations were able to resolve a vast majority of calls over the telephone.